I went with a friend to see the movie, Eat Pray Love. There was one particular message that has resonated within me since leaving the theater. It goes something like this… “You must empty your mind of those things possessing it in order to make room for God to enter.” 

I have been mentally sorting through all the pointless thoughts that fill our minds…worry, fear, guilt, anger, confusion, foolishness, envy, disappointment, materialism, selfishness, arrogance, sadness, grief, etc. If our minds have only a limited capacity, then the more mental garbage we can empty from our brain, the more room God will have to fill us up with Him…His thoughts…His desires…His wisdom…His Spirit. 

The hard part is letting go, which takes a concentrated effort. Praying has often been challenging for me, because I find intrusive thoughts poking their way into my conversations with God. Maybe this is because I need to do a better job of clearing my head before I begin. In reality, though, this is something that needs to happen on an ongoing basis, not just before a concentrated time of prayer. If I am to be filled with His Spirit, I am going to have to do some spring cleaning upstairs and take out the trash.