Do you find your mind wanders when you are trying to listen to the Lord during prayer? The church fathers thought wandering thoughts were dangerous because they dissipate the warmth of the soul and our heart grows cool. As I read this, I was convicted. What should I do about my wandering thoughts?

The church fathers gave practical advice: Spend time focused on heightening your sense of the fear of the Lord.

I knew that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7), but it was new for me to think about how essential the fear of the Lord is for prayer, and specifically for calming my wandering thoughts.

How might we heighten our reverential fear?

I thought about spending time meditating on two passages of Scripture. What if I went with the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41)? I can think about how afraid I would have been if I had been caught in the storm. If I could reflect on what it was like for them to have Jesus actually control the winds and waves, I could experience a touch of their terror and grasp more deeply the answer to their question: Who is this? Knowing Jesus’ absolute power over nature could heighten my wholesome fear of the Lord.
 
Another passage that heightens my fear of the Lord is Moses’ encounter with God (Exo. 19:9-20:21; Deut. 5:4-5, 23-29). Imagine walking with Moses to meet with God on Mount Sinai as the Lord's presence brought thunder and lightning and made the earth tremble violently, as he “descended on it in fire.” When the people saw the mountain burst into flame and heard the deafening trumpet sound, grown men trembled in fear at the thought of meeting with the Lord. I can heighten my reverential fear of God by meditating on this passage. 

Perhaps if we pause before we pray and ask, To whom am I praying? and seek to grasp a little more clearly that the Father we are addressing is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present, the One who commands nature and causes earthquakes and wildfires when he appears, perhaps our minds will stay focused as we sit quietly and listen for him to speak. The wisdom of the church fathers comes from the wisdom of the psalmist: “Be still, and know that I am God …” (Ps 46:10).