Spiritual Hindrances: How Diabolical Distractions Undermine Prayer
The influence of deceit diminishes the ability to pray correctly and draw near to God because devious forces actively interfere with a person's mind and heart, diverting them from truly spiritual aspirations. These forces implant false thoughts, generate earthly concerns, and distract attention so that the genuine focus on prayer and spiritual communion with God is disrupted. As noted in one source, "Deceitful spirits, Satan, and demons hold the mind and trip up the soul... and do not allow one to pray correctly and approach God" (source: link txt). Another text specifies that Satan "instills such thoughts that make us lose the desire to pray, constantly distracting us with everyday trivialities and tasks" (source: link txt). In this way, when the mind is filled with vain and worldly desires, a person loses the capacity to perceive spiritual truths, and their prayer becomes merely formal, devoid of sincere appeal to God.Supporting citation(s):"Deceitful spirits, Satan, and demons hold the mind and trip up the soul... and do not allow one to pray correctly and approach God" (source: link txt)"As we stand to pray, we see that something constantly distracts us: sometimes the clock ticks, sometimes the lamp is askew, sometimes dust is noticed, or objects need rearranging. It is Satan who instills such thoughts in us; he does not want us to pray" (source: link txt)