To LIST or NOT to list...that is the question


I am NOT a list maker, I am not a BIG Goal setter. I enjoy life as it comes and I try to prayerfully enter every decision, the key word here is TRY. So last week when we were in our womens bible study, I found it interesting that they were talking about what they do to try and stay focused on praying. To try and not get distracted and I just found it so fascinating that these Godly women made lists while they were in prayer. I am not here to tell you if that is right or wrong I am just here to ask a question and for you to seek God on the answer. So my question is, if you get distracted and want to remember things, but are in a time of prayer, should you make a list OR ask God to bring back to YOUR rememberance the things you need to do, get or anything else that distracts you from His Presence? If that isn't clear let me show you. My mom is a definite list maker she writes things down so she doesn't forget to do them, doesn't forget things at the grocery store and this usually happens in the middle of the night. She will be woken up by these thoughts of tasks to do. She has a pen and pad of paper by her bed so she can write them down and make sure that they are taken care of, I understand that and that is how her brain works. She is always in the middle of like 5 projects so I think that it is important for her to do that for her own sanity. Now for ME I am not that way, you may say that I am lazy and don't want to or you may think that I just don't have enough responsibility and so it hasn't happened yet, but I believe that the reality of it is that I am NOT a list maker. I take things as they come and I rely more on God than my list. I am not saying my mom doesn't, because she always does. I am just saying that I tend to let Him worry about that stuff and don't want to carry it around with me. To me it just isn't worth the weight. That must sound horrible to you but it is the honest truth, I would rather not carry things around that I don't need to. So back to the question, if you are getting ready to spend time in prayer, then is it good to keep a piece of paper handy to make a list. I am going to say NO, and here is my biblical backup. Luke 10:38-42 At the Home of Martha and Mary "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me! "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." What do you think? Do you think that to keep yourself from getting distracted you use other distractions? or do you think that to require yourself to totally focus on God makes it easier to train your brain to quiet itself and just wait on the Lord? Ask God what is better for you to do so that it will allow you to enter into His presence. Thank you Lord for tearing the veil and allowing us to be able to boldly come before you.
How will you enter into His presence today? With task in hand or not?

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