Choose to Stay Mindful in Prayer with Ben Fuller
Start each day with gratitude
As believers, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget the importance of staying mindful in prayer. Contemporary Christian Music artist, Ben Fuller, shared in a recent interview with Family Life Radio, when you take the time to intentionally connect with God each day, you experience a profound sense of peace, love and joy that can only come from Him.
One of the most significant ways you can stay mindful in prayer is to begin each day with gratitude. Ben said, “I need to tell myself that I’ve been made brand new every single day. I wake up and I say, ‘thank you God for waking me up. Thank you for another chance to go out and to tell people about your love – to tell people about your goodness.’”
“If I don’t start my day with it, I noticed a difference” Ben said. “By the end of the day, I’m like … why am I so frustrated? And I know it’s because I didn’t allow myself to have that time to talk about who I am, being a new believer. I gave my life to Christ November 10, 2019.”
When you choose to start your day with gratitude, you invite God’s presence into every aspect of your life, you acknowledge that He is the source of your blessings, and you trust Him to guide and lead you throughout the day.
You can also remind yourself every day of your identity in Christ. As a believer, you are a new creation in Him, and your past mistakes and failures do not define you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV).
When you remember that you are made new in Christ every day, you experience a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
Worship music can give you a deep sense of who you are in Christ. Songs like Ben’s “Who I Am” can serve as powerful declarations of your faith and help you stay connected to your identity in Christ. Ben says, his song, “Who I am” has become his own personal declaration of who he is in Christ. “It literally has become a reminder of who I am in the eyes of the Father. Who I was. I left at the altar. I am yours Lord. I believe. And just saying those things is like it just gives me peace and comfort.”
And as you sing these songs, you declare your belief in God’s love and power. You allow His truth to permeate every aspect of your life.
Ben said one of his favorite worship songs is “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake. “That song just puts me in a special place … and it makes me want to be grateful. But it’s definitely not easy to do, especially if things are going wrong and you’re in a tough place.” Ben said, “I just have to ask God, ‘Can you keep me in this place gratitude. Can you hold me here?’ Because I feel like I slip away so fast.”
An Invitation
Prayer is not just about asking God for help or guidance. It’s about inviting His presence into your heart and asking Him to use you as His vessel in the world. Ben said, “before I write [music], I pray, ‘God I want to be your words. I want to be your message. I want to be your voice.’”
When you pray, you acknowledge that you cannot do anything on your own, but instead, you surrender your plans and desires to God’s will. You can ask Him to guide your words and actions and trust Him to use you for His glory.
Staying mindful in prayer is not always easy. Ben admitted, “It is so easy to take things for granted.” In difficult times, it’s easy to slip away from gratitude and focus on your problems. In these moments, it’s necessary to ask God to help you stay in a place of gratitude. Ben said he tells God, “Just let me be grateful for what you’ve done.”
Philippians 4:6-7, reminds us “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV). What a powerful promise from your heavenly Father!
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