Mental Endurance

Even though I struggle to attend to audio, I don't think my problem with many things is concentration, but lack of mental endurance. When I read, I do not have the strength to visualize what I'm reading in detail. For instance, I tried to visualize what Paul meant in Corinthians by "called to be saint". I know it is a very simple phrase, and does not need abundant visualization. But to fully understand and enjoy it, I tried to visualize it in full detail. And once I got to the next sentence, after a half-hearted attempt at that, I started getting tired and gave up.

So it seems I am too weak to read with full visualization. I do not have very poor visualization skills. They may not be that good, but am able to visualize a lot of things with at least some detail. However, when it comes to reading books that require visualization, I have a difficult time sustaining the effort.

Why is my mind so weak, so weak that I can only manage to pray for several minutes a day? I can ramble to people for a half an hour, but I can't engage my brain in any serious activity for very long, except the very easy task of writing forum posts like this.

Please help. Thank you.

Guido said:

Even though I struggle to attend to audio, I don't think my problem with many things is concentration, but lack of mental endurance. When I read, I do not have the strength to visualize what I'm reading in detail. For instance, I tried to visualize what Paul meant in Corinthians by "called to be saint". I know it is a very simple phrase, and does not need abundant visualization. But to fully understand and enjoy it, I tried to visualize it in full detail. And once I got to the next sentence, after a half-hearted attempt at that, I started getting tired and gave up.

So it seems I am too weak to read with full visualization. I do not have very poor visualization skills. They may not be that good, but am able to visualize a lot of things with at least some detail. However, when it comes to reading books that require visualization, I have a difficult time sustaining the effort.

Why is my mind so weak, so weak that I can only manage to pray for several minutes a day? I can ramble to people for a half an hour, but I can't engage my brain in any serious activity for very long, except the very easy task of writing forum posts like this.

Please help. Thank you.

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Have you spoken to medical professionals? You might be dyslexic… or there are a myriad of other things( vitamin Deficient, physical illness blah blah ). Nobody here is going to diagnose you… you have to advocate for yourself.

Earth Wind and Fire said:

Have you spoken to medical professionals? You might be dyslexic… or there are a myriad of other things( vitamin Deficient, physical illness blah blah ). Nobody here is going to diagnose you… you have to advocate for yourself.

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Thank you for the advice.

Also, I feel sluggish today, properly from eating poorly and consuming too much sugar. So I could not find the strength to do any freewriting, which I seldom do but want to do consistently. I don't practice non-stop freewriting, but write as long as I can think, and stop until I can continue to think, without attending to grammar or style, but fixing typos.

I actually have managed to pray for about 20 minutes the past several days.

This is off-topic but: Recently I started thinking about tone in writing. Before, I had been neglecting tone and just trying to use rhythm. I think I will continue to neglect tone for now, albeit avoiding offensive sound of language, and just pay careful attention to intonation when editing. I choose to neglect tone because I don't want to think my writing is insincere due to a conscious attempt on my part to command my tone. Conscious command of tone may be good for writing fiction, but perhaps not so good for writing letters, unless perhaps you can get the reader to understand you are doing that, while at the same time assuring them truthfully that you are sincere.

I am not even sure if what I'm referring to as tone even exists, but I noticed emotive qualities of sound when reading the KJV.

Also, I find it much easier to write while editing instead of freewriting for some reason. Why is this? I am also always concerned that my freewriting will not be editable into language with the kind of prose style I want to write in, because I was looking at Hebrews and couldn't figure out how part of the first sentence in the KJV could have been broken up in a rough draft, without part of its signification being required to be present in the author's mind.

Am I just to weak and lazy to sit in front of my computer and type, that I have to type on my phone while slouching in a chair? Isn't that a kind of wickedness condemned in the Book of Proverbs, not conducive to courtship and marriage?

Guido said:

Thank you for the advice.

Also, I feel sluggish today, properly from eating poorly and consuming too much sugar.

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There’s your problem. Don’t eat sugar, it’s poison mate. Causes brain fog, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases, auto immune, cancer etc

Eat steak and eggs. Blood steak and eggs once a day, and that’s it nothing else.

Do a 5km walk and start doing 50 push-ups a day and build from there. In a couple of weeks you will be doing hundreds a day.
Just do it.

Don’t be sedentary, get out and do.

Guido said:

Even though I struggle to attend to audio, I don't think my problem with many things is concentration, but lack of mental endurance. When I read, I do not have the strength to visualize what I'm reading in detail. For instance, I tried to visualize what Paul meant in Corinthians by "called to be saint". I know it is a very simple phrase, and does not need abundant visualization. But to fully understand and enjoy it, I tried to visualize it in full detail. And once I got to the next sentence, after a half-hearted attempt at that, I started getting tired and gave up.

So it seems I am too weak to read with full visualization. I do not have very poor visualization skills. They may not be that good, but am able to visualize a lot of things with at least some detail. However, when it comes to reading books that require visualization, I have a difficult time sustaining the effort.

Why is my mind so weak, so weak that I can only manage to pray for several minutes a day? I can ramble to people for a half an hour, but I can't engage my brain in any serious activity for very long, except the very easy task of writing forum posts like this.

Please help. Thank you.

Click to expand...

We seem to have another thread focused on your needs rather than on improving our ministry.

Where is the scripture that says we are to "visualize" God's word? We are to study it. Meditate on it. Live by it.

"Called to be saints." What does called mean? Invited? Or transferred by God into Christ spiritually. If saints means set apart for God's purpose, then a change in our status is indicated, not merely an invitation. Once transferred, we are saints, set apart in Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 1:2

Van said:

We seem to have another thread focused on your needs rather than on improving our ministry.

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Ministry? WHAT ministry? You are certainly not talking about the Baptist Board!

There is no ministry here. Just a bunch of people who love to argue and fight to be "right".

Guido has some struggles. SURELY you can tell that. Back off.

Van said:

We seem to have another thread focused on your needs rather than on improving our ministry.

Where is the scripture that says we are to "visualize" God's word? We are to study it. Meditate on it. Live by it.

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One of the problems we sometimes have as believers, is not recognising Jesus in disguise.
We must “visualise” God’s Word which is Jesus Himself.

The words of Scripture are meant to help form the clear image of Jesus for us and in us. We can’t improve our ministry, we must allow Jesus image to fill us, and Jesus ministers to everyone.

"Called to be saints." What does called mean? Invited? Or transferred by God into Christ spiritually. If saints means set apart for God's purpose, then a change in our status is indicated, not merely an invitation. Once transferred, we are saints, set apart in Christ. Read 1 Corinthians 1:2

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We are called to deny self so that only Jesus lives in us.

Ministry isn’t a career, it’s the outgrowth of Jesus living in us, whether we are paid or not, Jesus does and says through us, Jesus goes out.

Self doesn’t bear good, Jesus makes us bear good fruit, He is the one ministering.

Start with the litany of humility each morning to get rid of self and fill up with Jesus. Then hand over your human will.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

When we are good nobody’s then Jesus really goes out in power. You aren’t you anymore, you see the difference between you and Jesus, Jesus is really effective out there.

Scarlett O. said:

Ministry? WHAT ministry? You are certainly not talking about the Baptist Board!

There is no ministry here. Just a bunch of people who love to argue and fight to be "right".

Guido has some struggles. SURELY you can tell that. Back off.

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The ministry if the ministry of reconciliation.
I do not subscribe to the soft bigotry of low expectations, God can use Guido and bless others through his ministry.

Cathode said:

One of the problems we sometimes have as believers, is not recognising Jesus in disguise.
We must “visualise” God’s Word which is Jesus Himself.

The words of Scripture are meant to help form the clear image of Jesus for us and in us. We can’t improve our ministry, we must allow Jesus image to fill us, and Jesus ministers to everyone.

We are called to deny self so that only Jesus lives in us.

Ministry isn’t a career, it’s the outgrowth of Jesus living in us, whether we are paid or not, Jesus does and says through us, Jesus goes out.

Self doesn’t bear good, Jesus makes us bear good fruit, He is the one ministering.

[SNIP]

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

When we are good nobody’s then Jesus really goes out in power. You aren’t you anymore, you see the difference between you and Jesus, Jesus is really effective out there.

Click to expand...

1) No verse suggests "visualization" as part of discerning the truth of God's word.

2) We are not to replace God's message that we are to apply to our lives, as we follow all Christ taught, with a "visualization" (graven image of the mind) of Christ.

3) Of course we can improve our ministry, or do you deny progressive sanctification. We can quench the Spirit or seek to follow Christ.

4) Yes we are to deny ourselves and follow Christ, which includes teaching disciples all Christ commanded.

5) Act 6:4
6) Once a person is born anew, they have been created for good works, and we earn rewards for effective ministry.

7) We are not to compare ourselves with others, but with Christ alone and strive to be Christ-like.

8) Doing good in the name of Christ does not put Christ out of power, it puts Christ on our heart's throne.