"Attention is the beginning of devotion"
- Mary Oliver

To connect to God, we need to give him our attention.

Bottom Line

Intentional space with God is essential for a thriving relationship with God.

Why we need to carve out space in our life for prayer

1. There’s no replacement for intentional time with God
2. God speaks in the quiet
3. God’s work in your soul requires consistent nourishment
4. We don’t stumble into deep intentional time with God

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
Mark 6:45-46

"Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life"
- Henri Nouwen

"The invitation to solitude and silence is just that. It is an invitation to enter more deeply into the intimacy of relationship with the One who waits just outside the noise and busyness of our lives. It is an invitation to communication and communion with the One who is always present even when our awareness has been dulled by distraction. It is an invitation to the adventure of spiritual transformation in the deepest places of our being, an adventure that  will result in greater freedom and authenticity and surrender to God than we have yet experienced"
- Ruth Hailey Barton

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
I Kings 19:11-13

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence”
- Mother Teresa

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3

If you want the life of the tree planted by streams of water, it’s going to require intentionality and sacrifice.

3 questions you’ll need to answer to carve out time for prayer this week

1. How long?
2. When will you pray?
3. What will you do in that time?

Ideas for what to do in your prayer time this week

• Sit in silence and wake up to God’s presence
• Prayer of examen
• Create a list of people and things to pray for
• Read a passage from the Bible prayerfully and then spend some time asking how God wants to speak to you through it [Psalm 23, Psalm 111, Psalm 121]
• Journal
• Ask for God’s help with the specific things you have coming up in your day
• Pray some pre-written prayers [Lord’s Prayer, Lectio 365 app, Prayers for the Pilgrimage]

Action Steps

Prayerfully reflect on the following questions:

• What things get in the way of creating space to be with God?
• Are they more external or internal challenges?

Practice

• Fast from something that steals your focus and attention
• Carve out at least 10-15 minutes each day this week to be still, give God your attention, and connect with God in prayer.
• STRETCH → If you can one day this week remove all distractions and spend a longer time in prayer than you usually would.