It is human nature to look at the problem before us

"It is human nature to look at the problem before us, the crisis that has caused us to pray. But the problem is exactly the thing we should not be looking at.

You will want to have something before you that helps you turn your gaze from the wreckage to God. I respect the orthodox church's use of icons; they are not meant to be understood as 'pictures' of Jesus, but rather more like 'symbols' that help the believer turn his or her attention to him. Better than looking at the stain in the carpet or the tiles on your ceiling. What will help you to keep your eyes fixed on the truth of God? C.S. Lewis had only had only one picture on the walls of his bedroom – a photo of the image of Jesus' face from the Shroud of Turin. He would gaze upon it as he prayed.

I believe that as we grow in 'fixing our gaze on Jesus' we can learn to turn our inner eyes to him and actually see him. As Pascal said, "It is the heart which experiences God.' But I'm not proficient at that, so I keep a journal in front of me not a diary, but a journal of key truths that I must remind myself of on a daily basis. That he is the God of 400 hundred billion billion suns. The creator of everything I love. That I am his son; I have full rights of a son. It helps me to get into the right frame of mind as I pray."

John Eldredge, "Moving Mountains"

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