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Praying Outdoors When Praying Indoors Is Difficult

Struggling to Pray

I struggle to pray for seven minutes in my workspace. I have to set a timer, and if I don’t set my phone to do not disturb, good luck. I have to put my computer to sleep to avoid googling the first question that comes to mind.

Oops, I forgot about the tablet. Looks like my friend is in Chicago for the day. I should text him about my favorite coffee shop there! Wait. Do not disturb on.

I’m doing what Jesus said, right? I’m closing the door, and then trying—in vain—to close all the digital doors that hijack my brain. Why is it so hard?

Times Are Changing

You see, for eight hours a day I plug my mind into the machine and jump from task to task, interfacing endlessly with the devices in front of me. Day after day, year after year. How can I expect to sit in this same space and turn it all off after so much conditioning? I can’t. I have to change my environment.

The problem is, where in the first century the room behind the closed door was private, in the modern era it’s often the most distracting place to pray.

In the first century, people spent much of their time outdoors when they weren’t sleeping. Outside, you faced distraction. You saw the people you’d known your whole life. You saw the market—the center of ancient civic life. But today, if you go outside in a major city, suburb or small town, you’ll likely find next to nobody walking around. If you see anybody, chances are you don’t know them.

So why not pray outside? Go for a prayer walk. Yes, even in a Northern winter. As the Norwegians say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

Same Message, Different Means

Outside, you’re alone, but behind closed doors, your devices will chime ad nauseam with that constant nonsense, helping your brain from fix to fix until you’ve neither prayed nor even enjoyed the time you’ve spent distracted.

Pray without distraction. The message is the same, but the means have reversed. One of the best ways to close the door in the 21st century is to open the door and leave your home to go on a prayer walk. This is the opposite of shutting yourself in a room, but it accomplishes the same purpose in our era.

Leave the phone at home, or on do not disturb in your pocket. Pray. Start small and soon you may find it rewarding to walk for 20 or 30 minutes while you pray. You may enter into a communion with God you haven’t felt in years. You won’t be nearly as distracted. The fresh air and exercise will do you good too. Plus your mind will unplug from the noise. Turns out the dopamine-obsessed monkey on your back doesn’t like the weather.