Be Clear Minded

Dear Sisters,

Good morning! It’s my prayer that your week is off to a good start and in stride with God’s. What does that mean? In Oswald Chambers’ wise words, “Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it.” Together let’s persevere in prayer – encouraging one another to keep at it!

BE CLEAR MINDED

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7

Many things can fog the brain. After making a mistake in her transaction, a grocery store clerk told me that her brother-in-law passed away a week ago and she’s been struggling. “I start and end projects, but keep finding myself missing key steps in the middle.” Exhaustion, parenting, and yes, even the pregnancy that preludes parenting, also impact mental function and concentration. Older friends joke how they enter a room of their home, forget what they went in there to do, and turn around, clueless. We laugh at our shared experience and blame our fogged thinking to age and overload.

If you’re feeling a bit foggy upstairs, it’s time to clear the head. Not so you can figure things out, but so you can pray! Prayer requires a clear mind. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so you can pray (1 Peter 4:7).

The end of all things is near. Jesus Christ died, rose, and ascended. The Holy Spirit was outpoured at Pentecost. Therefore Jesus could return at any time. Maybe today. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here (Romans 13:11b-12a).

Understanding Jesus’ imminent arrival, we must be clear minded, be in a right state of mind, have sober judgment, and be self-controlled so that we can pray.

As a child when I kept replaying my thoughts aloud my mom would tell me I sounded like a broken record. Although broken records are a thing of the past, we’re all familiar with recurring thoughts – especially replaying worrisome circumstances in our minds.

King David prayed, Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind (Psalm 26:2). Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts (Psalm 139:23).

Examine us, O God! Where there is anxiety and worry, we ask for forgiveness. Where there is muddled thinking, clear the way to Your truth. Where there is fog due to grief, overload, and confusion, break it free with Your comfort, peace, and plan. Clear our minds and fix our thoughts directly on You so we can pray.

I love the thought of needing a clear mind to pray. So often people just get all wordy and religious. You don’t need a clear mind for that. But listening and putting together God’s Word in the ways He shows us – that takes some mental ability.
Jan Kempe

Grace and peace,
Lenae