Don’t Let the Squirrels in Your Prayer Life Keep You From Praying

Rick Hattan, Awana missionary for Nebraska and Southeast Wyoming, along with his wife Fairy, is our guest writer this month. He recognizes an issue most of us experience while praying; we get distracted. Read on to find out how we are in good company when it comes to our prayer struggles.

Don’t Let the Squirrels in Your Prayer Life Keep You From Praying

One of the characters in the animated movie “Up” is a dog named Dug. Fitted with a talking collar that gives voice to his thoughts, Dug carries on a steady, one-sided conversation. In the middle of one of his scenes, he is abruptly distracted and exclaims, “SQUIRREL!” This expression has since become a synonym for distraction.

“Squirrels” or distractions are a frequent reality in prayer. We start praying and before long, a thought pops into our mind and we are instantly thinking of something else.

In his book, A Praying Life, Paul Miller says prayer is all about a relationship with our Father. He points out that when we talk with good friends, our conversation bounces from subject to subject. “Why would our prayer time be any different? After all, God is a person.”

Paul Miller explains how Apostle Paul’s prayers also wander. “In Ephesians, Paul starts praying by saying, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:16-17).  He continues to pray for several verses, but you can’t be sure where he stops.  He starts praying again at the beginning of chapter 3, For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles … But as soon as he mentions Gentiles, he seemingly gets distracted and stops praying.

“Finally, he picks up his prayer again in 3:14, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father. [His] praying is all over the map.”

There is a place for structure in our prayers. But instead of beating ourselves up over the “squirrels,” let’s enjoy the time. Revelation 3:20 gives us a picture of the interaction the Lord desires. If He were to talk to us today, He might say, “Next time I drop by, invite Me in so we can share a meal and some heart-to-heart conversation together.”

While you pray this month, use our newest Awana Prayer Calendar and pray for Awana clubs around the world. To receive each month’s calendar in your in-box become an Awana Prayer Partner.