I once had a vision of myself on my knees, hands and arms raised, in one surrender-type motion. I had this feeling that’s what God was asking of me, but I thought, I don’t need to pray on my knees. I can pray sitting down just the same. But I failed to acknowledge the fact of the vision’s origin—the Holy Spirit. And I neglected to believe there was a reason He gave it to me.
Me. With my ADHD mind.
Sure, I can just pray sitting in my comfy bedroom chair, with my Bible, journal and devotional books tableside. How could my posture really make a difference? I figured I was “doing my quiet time” faithfully enough, able to check the box for basic devoutness. Nothing need change.
The vision grew darker as time passed, the thought tucked away in a cozy pocket gathering lint. Yet each day my warm chair enveloped me in comfort, easing my mind into so many directions, concentrating became all the more difficult. Interruptions knocked my thoughts off course constantly, my three kids not realizing the gravity of my chair.
But I had lost respect for my chair, too.
Read my Bible verses and devotional. Check. Write a little in my journal. Check. Read my prayer guides. Check. Close my eyes for a minute and say a few heartful words to the Father. Check. Move on with my day.
Last month, a detour of my daily routine made my checklist fess up. While on a mission trip in Peru, the Lord reminded me of the vision of me on my knees. He said it was time to obey the Holy Spirit and faithfully execute His direction. And now I understand why.
1. Get Uncomfortable.
So many to-do’s to do! As soon as I sit down in my comfortable chair, I remember them all! That’s how my ADHD mind works. Even when I’m reading, writing, praying a few words, my thoughts jump from box to box in my bullied brain, each box holding my lists and plans and figurings. The literal knocks on my bedroom door followed by unwelcomed visitors keep me from really diving deep into a truly pure moment with my God.
So I have to get uncomfortable. Getting on my knees begins the box pushback, where each can wait for my full attention. I sense the discomfort of pressure on my knees and choose to focus my thoughts on…nothing…but the silence. My eager interrupters begin to respect the posture, backing away because they know “Mommy is praying.”
2. Get Comfortable.
“Prayer isn’t about the number of words that come out of your mouth or how eloquent you sound. It’s about being in God’s presence. Simply showing up. Those raw, honest, messy prayers connect with God, my friend, so don’t be afraid you’re doing it wrong.”
Jennifer Rothschild tweet 7/7/23
Next, I get comfortable with the silence, then with pouring out my heart to God, no matter what it sounds like. It can look like one jumbled grunt of thanksgiving, plus another garbled plea for help for myself and so many others needing His touch. It may just be one anointed, spill-my-chunks kind of moment with the Lord. Good thing He can make sense of the language of our hearts.
3. Get Quiet? Maybe.
Sometimes I will put on a worship song or some instrumental music [check out “Soaking in His Presence” on YouTube or wherever you listen to music]. But the moment I lift my hands up, like I did in the original vision, my soul engages with Him and His thoughts towards me. My surrender pose reminds my body of its purpose, to glorify God in that moment and connect with His presence, not my checklist.
The music fills the silence, so my thoughts don’t have to, and I’m able to hear the Father singing over me. Sometimes I like the silence when my spirit is weary, and I make space for the Spirit to speak. Either way, I get to hear His response to my submitted heart and be refreshed by His friendliness.
4. Get open.
I may not hear an audible voice in those moments, but that doesn’t mean God is silent. I believe that when we place ourselves in an obedient posture, He finds creative ways to communicate His own lists and plans and figurings. I should preface this with the fact that I don’t believe in coincidence, and I believe fully in the orchestration of the Holy Spirit to lead us in every way.
For example, yesterday an old friend came to my mind that I haven’t connected with for about six months, and today that friend texted me about catching up and working together on a ministry project. Or, earlier this week I came across a quote from a respected Christian author about radical surrender to God, and last night I heard the same quote from a different source.
These coinciding events are ways the Holy Spirit is waking my own spirit to receive God’s instructions and perceive God’s will. When we are open in this way, we don’t have to let our bullying boxes beat up our brains any longer. We don’t have to worry or question or stress. His hand on our lives is clear. “The one who obeys God’s instruction today, will develop a keep discernment of His direction tomorrow” (Lysa Terkeurst tweet 7/7/23).
The Art of Choosing True Life 