5 Things to Do When You’re Bored in Church Perhaps the priest or minister is droning on, you’ve not had enough sleep, or you’ve reached a crisis of faith. Here are a few helpful tips to redirect your attention to spiritual matters.

 Faith & Prayer

5 Things to Do When You’re Bored in Church

Perhaps the priest or minister is droning on, you’ve not had enough sleep, or you’ve reached a crisis of faith. Here are a few helpful tips to redirect your attention to spiritual matters.

Let’s face it, sometimes we all get bored during mass or church services, no matter how devout we may be. Perhaps the priest or minister is droning on, you’ve not had enough sleep, or you’ve reached a crisis of faith. Following are a few helpful tips to redirect your attention to spiritual matters.

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Pray For the Priest or Minister

The person leading your congregation is human and has bad days and lack of inspiration, just like anyone else. Say a heartfelt prayer for this person and take a few minutes to focus on the lesson or point your leader is trying to make. Even if you can’t concentrate on the words being said, reflect on the purpose of the sermon and how it applies to your life.

Pray For the People in the Congregation

Going to church is about taking part in a community of people who share your faith. If you’re bored or distracted, pray for the people around you. Each one of you is on a personal faith journey with unique struggles and challenges, and we can all use some extra prayers. Observe a few members of the congregation sitting nearby and reflect on their good qualities. Notice how the young mother sitting next to you is especially gentle and loving with her children. The older man in front of you always smiles and shakes your hand in greeting when you arrive. Seeing the good in others can help focus your attention to spiritual matters.

Look at Boredom as a Challenge

If you’re frequently bored and restless at church, perhaps God is challenging you to learn more about your faith. Take some time to think about how much effort you are putting into your spiritual life. If you’re only spending an hour or two at church on Sunday, think about ways that you can learn more about your faith the rest of the week. Can you join a Bible study or spiritual book group? Is there a person in your faith community who could serve as a mentor? Pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire you to find resources to strengthen your faith.

Spend Time in Private Meditation

If you’re tempted to indulge in idle daydreaming when you’re feeling bored at church, try focusing your mind in meditation instead. Read a passage in scripture and reflect on it or ponder the words of a favorite prayer or the our father. You might also just simply put yourself in God’s presence and take time to listen to him.

Accept It

Sometimes you might just have to accept boredom as part of your spiritual journey. Just as work and home life have periods of boredom or restlessness, so does your life in faith. Continue to pray and attend mass or church services, and you will benefit from the grace of doing so, even if you don’t realize it’s there.

Don’t Give Up

Try not to give in to the temptation of boredom at church and remember these words from Scripture, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)

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Peggy Bowes is a former Air Force pilot and the author of The Rosary Workout and Tending the Temple. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.

1 Samuel 20:24-42 So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. The king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall; Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

 

1 Samuel 20:24-42

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So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. The king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall; Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. Yet Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, "Something has befallen him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean." But on the second day, the morrow after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem; he said, `Let me go; for our family holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table." Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die." Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him. In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little lad. And he said to his lad, "Run and find the arrows which I shoot." As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" And Jonathan called after the lad, "Hurry, make haste, stay not." So Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city." And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times; and they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David recovered himself. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, `The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants, for ever.'" And he rose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

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6 Ways to Communicate With Jesus and Hear His Voice Can you hear what Jesus is saying to you? By Lesli White

 

6 Ways to Communicate With Jesus and Hear His Voice

Can you hear what Jesus is saying to you?

By Lesli White

Twenty20

We all want to hear Jesus’ voice, but it can be difficult to tap in. There will be times when we will put ourselves entirely out there to feel like He doesn’t hear us. When Jesus seems quiet, it can be disheartening, agonizing and frustrating, to say the least. There are also times when you will turn to Jesus for answers or relief and still experience silence. Being able to hear Jesus’ voice is essential in building a strong and intimate relationship with Him. It is also vital that you can distinguish Jesus’ voice from the noise of the world. While it’s easy to bring our concerns to Jesus, many Christians have trouble hearing what is being said. God never wanted it to be this way. When we can’t hear Jesus’ voice, we can become more susceptible to the enemy’s schemes. Here are six ways to communicate with Jesus and hear His voice.

Learn the art of listening.

Most of us want Jesus to send us a sign when He is trying to reach us. It is difficult to know when Jesus is really speaking to us because we don’t know what His voice sounds like or if we are genuinely being told to. There are times when Jesus’ voice is super clear. We can hear Him in ways we’ve never heard Him before. This can only be done when we understand the art of listening. This requires discipline and training. It’s also difficult to hear Jesus’ voice when we are distracted by the voices of the world. It’s so easy to tune into every other voice but God’s. The Book of Hebrews reminds us that we can train our ears to hear the voice of Jesus above all other noise. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are full of age that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Knowing this can allow us to distinguish between the voice of God and the enemy. It is also essential that we are in tune with the voice of the Spirit and understand the way it is working through us. In Matthew 13:9, Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.” To tune into the voice of Jesus, begin with a prayer that God will give you a hearing heart.

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Let of go of what is blocking you.

Sometimes, life’s clutter and our lack of focus can distract us from hearing Jesus’ voice. We have a greater ability to hear Jesus’ voice clearly when we let go of the chatter that’s in our heads. Stop right now and start examining. Ask yourself specifically what may be keeping you distracted and separated from Jesus. Is there a sign that you haven’t confessed to God yet? This may be blocking you from the voice of Jesus. Scripture says, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). To do this, you must go deep into your heart. Ask yourself, Is there something or someone that you are putting before Jesus? As you become more aware of what’s separating you from Jesus, call on Him forgiveness. Repenting not only pleases the Lord it also reestablishes fellowship with Him.

Practice patience.

Listening to Jesus begins with patience. Some days, it will be easier to be patient than others. When you take our concerns to Jesus over and over, it can be difficult to wait. It may even feel like the prayers you’re lifting up are falling on deaf ears. Galatians 5 reminds us that one of the fruits of the Spirit is patience. We should call on the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we are empowered and directed, even as we wait on the Lord. We can gain this strength when we are filled with the Spirit. All we have to do is trust that the Holy Spirit is dwelling there. Call on the Spirit no matter what situation we’re in. Thankfully, this is a provision that can be claimed by faith. We are taught this in Romans 5:1-5, which says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” The ultimate source of patience is within us.

Have a humble heart.

One of the most challenging parts about hearing Jesus is that learning how to discern His voice takes time. It also requires a humble heart. Scripture reminds us in Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” We are never able to make demands to the Lord. However, we can ask, seek and knock. God’s Word promises that He will open the door and reveal Himself to those who come humbly.

Understand that Jesus wants to speak to you.

You must believe that Jesus is trying to reach you. Through Jesus and the power of the Spirit, God wants to talk to you regularly on a one-on-one basis. If you don’t think Jesus is trying to reach you, there is no way you’ll be able to hear what He is saying to you. Yet, when you receive the fullness of the Spirit which Jesus sent us, hearing Him becomes the most natural thing. We are promised in Luke 11:13 that the Father gives the Spirit to those who seek. We can be led by the Spirit when we trust in Jesus and His promises.

Feel the love of Jesus.

When you are having trouble hearing Jesus, you must think about the fact that Jesus loves you and wants to be involved in every single detail of your life, including the small ones. John 3:16 is the perfect reminder of the incredible love that the Lord has for us. The verse says, “For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.” Even when it seems like Jesus is silent, His incredible love isn’t. It never ends, even in the silence, even when we can’t discern it. When you begin to feel the presence of God and all the love that we are given, Jesus’ voice is so clear.

We are radically transformed when we can better listen to Jesus and understand where He is leading us. Jesus is giving us direction, even when we have trouble discerning His voice. Trust in Jesus as you grow in a relationship with Him, and you will never be disappointed.

Lesli White is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and a concentration in print and online journalism. In college, she took a number of religious studies courses and harnessed her talent for storytelling. White has a rich faith background. Her father, a Lutheran pastor and life coach was a big influence in her faith life, helping her to see the value of sharing the message of Christ with others. She has served in the church from an early age. Some of these roles include assisting ministry, mutual ministry, worship and music ministry and church council.   

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