“A wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” concluded Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert in a 2010 paper of the same name. In their article, they acknowledged that many religious and philosophical teachings stress the importance of controlling one’s thoughts, but up until recently, performing a scientific test to prove that fact had been problematic. Using modern technology and testing methods, they concluded that we are happier when we can control our thoughts.
When I began studying the science and psychology of happiness, one item frequently attributed to achieving greater happiness was practicing “mindfulness.” I didn’t know what this term meant. Even now, mindfulness has a range of meanings in the field of psychology.
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary describes mindfulness as “… a state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” The more I read about and studied mindfulness, the more similarities I saw between what psychologists and counselors call “mindfulness” and prayer. Mindfulness practices involve focusing on one’s thoughts for an extended period. Our thoughts our focused on God when we pray. Effective prayer involves ignoring distractions and concentrating on God.
Western psychology recently began using the term “mindfulness”. In the past, many in the academic and scientific community have dismissed the effectiveness of prayer and meditation as religious nonsense and superstition. With improved testing methods and analysis, the actual psychological benefits of prayer and meditation have become evident. One of the reasons I believe the term mindfulness has replaced terms such as prayer and meditation in scientific and medical circles is that the words prayer and meditation imply a specific religious or spiritual connection. Christians, Muslims, and Jews pray. Catholic monks and nuns, Buddhists, and Hindus meditate. The term mindfulness takes away the spiritual connotation and focuses on what can be scientifically proven.
In the past twenty years, psychologists, counselors, and therapists have increasingly used mindfulness therapy to treat a variety of mental health and well-being issues. It has proven especially effective in treating anxiety, depression, and in stress reduction.
Now more than ever, we live in a distracted world. Advertisers and influencers bombard us with messages vying for our attention. Most of us carry a cell phone with us. Some keep it within reach twenty-four hours a day, even by our bedside. We look at our phone whenever it beeps or buzzes. The irrational “fear of missing out” or FOMO grips us. We can’t wait until morning to see what Aunt Harriett had for dinner or which football player might be traded to another team. The study by Killingsworth and Gilbert proved that a mind filled with distraction is unhappy.
The Bible contains many verses that admonish us to control our thoughts. II Corinthians 10:5 talks about “…bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (KJV)
The primary purpose of prayer is to connect with God and improve our spiritual lives. Improving our spiritual health should be the main reason why we pray. However, the daily act of focused attention on one thing improves our mental health and well-being and increases our happiness.
Let me offer a word of caution. Some secular meditation practices recommend emptying your mind and letting whatever thoughts come into your mind without judgment. Other meditation practices emphasize self-focus. As Christians, when we pray, it is very clear that our focus should be on God.
Psalms 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” (KJV)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 KJV)
We need to reject the suggestion that allowing any thought to enter our minds without spiritual analysis is beneficial. Focus your thoughts on God and doing what is right.
For thousands of years, we have known that praying to God is essential for our spiritual well-being. Modern science has shown that prayer or prayer-like activity is necessary for our mental well-being.
Although science and psychological research have demonstrated that prayer-like practices such as mindfulness meditation without a direct tie to a deity have some benefit to an individual, praying to God has a more significant impact. A May 20, 2020, article in the Wall Street Journal, “The Science of Prayer,” references a study where participants meditated for twenty minutes daily for four weeks. They divided the subjects into two groups. The first group meditated using words of self-affirmation. The second group meditated on attributes of God. At the end of the study, the group that practiced spiritual meditation showed greater benefits. They had more decrease in anxiety and stress and more increase in positive mood than those meditating using self-affirmation techniques.
The Bible and spiritual experience teach that prayer is necessary. Science also tells us that engaging in mindfulness or prayer-like activity improves our mental health and happiness. So, how often and for how long should we pray?
The Bible says that prayer should be performed daily. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, Jesus included the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 KJV). If we expect to eat every day, we should pray every day.
Many scriptures, particularly in the Old Testament, discuss praying “night and day.” These days, when we use the term “night and day,” we typically mean to do something a lot or continuously. However, in Bible times, this may mean literally “at the beginning of the day and the end of the day.” Deuteronomy 6:7 talks about teaching our children the word of God, “when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (KJV). In other words, twice daily.
Scientific research shows that consistency is most important in mindfulness meditation practice. Most studies conclude that daily practice has the most significant benefit for happiness and well-being.
How long should you pray each day? This is something that can be very personal. I have heard ministers preach that you should pray for at least an hour daily. Matthew 26:40 refers to this when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and found the disciples sleeping, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NKJV) Even the old “Sweet Hour of Prayer” hymn suggests a sixty-minute prayer time. Quite honestly, this mindset is one of the reasons I had difficulty establishing a consistent prayer life. “If one hour is the minimum, I might as well not even try. That is just impossible for me,” I thought.
Going to the other extreme, some people bend the intent of I Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing” (KJV). They believe that saying quick, one-minute, or shorter prayers throughout the day is enough. A quick grace before meals, a “Thank you, Jesus!” while driving down the road. I am not saying to stop having a continuous attitude of thinking of God. However, if your prayer life only consists of saying grace and snippets of rote prayer throughout the day, you are missing the complete spiritual and psychological benefit.
Most studies on mindfulness meditation have concluded that a minimum of fifteen to twenty minutes per day is required to see the mental health benefits of meditation. However, a 2017 University of Waterloo study showed that just ten minutes of daily meditation had a positive effect on individuals who suffered from anxiety.
I recommend starting with at least fifteen minutes of focused, uninterrupted prayer time without cell phones or other distractions daily. More is better, but this seems an excellent place to start if you don’t have a regular prayer life established.
If you already have a well-established, consistent prayer life, congratulations! You recognize the benefits of prayer for your spiritual health. Hopefully, you now realize that daily prayer also improves your happiness and mental health.
Many people are shocked by how much time they spend on their phone or computer when confronted with the data. Apple and Android have a setting where you can see your screen time by app. It can be shocking. “Do I really spend that much time on Words With Friends or the latest game? I didn’t think I looked at Facebook and Instagram for that long. Etc.” We can be tempted to think that we don’t even have fifteen to twenty minutes daily to focus on uninterrupted prayer. However, if we really analyze what takes up our time during a typical day, there are certainly some things that we can forgo to make sure that we get prayer time in.
Here are a couple of quotes about prayer that illustrate the importance and positive effect of taking time to pray and meditate.
You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour. – Ancient Zen proverb
Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer! – Martin Luther
The message from these two quotes is clear: time spent in prayer will help you become more effective and help you accomplish more, even if your time is limited.
Make time for prayer. Your spiritual well-being and your happiness depend on it.
