How To Avoid Getting Distracted During Prayer: 8 Best Practices
In the quiet moments of prayer, we seek solace, guidance, and connection with the Lord. Yet, amidst the chaos of our daily lives, maintaining focus during prayer can often feel like trying to hold onto a handful of sand. Distractions, whether they arise from external stimuli or the internal chatter of our minds, have a way of creeping in, diluting the purity of our spiritual practice. However, mastering the art of concentration in prayer is not an insurmountable challenge.
By incorporating certain practices and techniques into our routine, we can cultivate a deeper sense of presence and reverence in our communion with God. In this article, we will explore eight effective strategies to help you avoid getting distracted during prayer, enabling you to immerse yourself fully in the sanctity of the moment.
- In prayer, imagine you are alone before God, that his presence is real an you are right in front of him:
Having the sense that you’re right in front of an Almighty being can humble you and make you want to focus yourself to that person. So before praying, put in your mind and heart that there is only you and God in this world. Imagine that you are alone before God, that nothing else exists. Not your problems, not your ambitions, not your friends, or enemies. There’s just you and Him. - “Detach me Lord from the world”:
Whenever you’re in the middle of prayer and your mind starts to wonder, force yourself to mentally pray these words “Detach me Lord from the world”. Say it again and again peacefully until you’re back on track. It’s important to ask God to detach you from anything distracting you peacefully and not worryingly. As worrying only intensifies distraction and agitations. - Consistency:
Practice makes perfect. Have a dedicated time in your day for prayer. If you’re new to praying, you can start small. Maybe a prayer of 15 minutes a day at every 6pm. Or start your day with a morning prayer, or pray the Rosary everyday. Then gradually improve your prayer durations and efforts over time. The important thig is you get into the habit of it to the point that your day isn’t complete if you haven’t yet prayed. - Get inspirations from the Saints:
We get easily distracted from prayer because we don’t really know yet how joyful it can be. We see prayers as a sort of another chore rather than a way to relax the mind and soul. Reading about the lives of the saints can inspire and motivate us to pray. When we see that these saints were just ordinary people like us who spent a lot of their time in prayer, we not only see how prayer has changed their lives for the better, but their peace and joy occurs at the very moment of prayer itself. And when that happens, it motivates us to want to do the same thing. Especially if that saint has a lot in common with you. Not only do our patron saints give us insightful reasons to pray, but their very joy with it breathes life into prayer. - Redefine you’re prayer life:
Most people only pray when there are troubles in their life or if they’re asking for favors. They have unknowingly defined prayer as “asking for help”. Redefine it as “talking to the person that matters the most”. And when God becomes the person that matters the most in your life, wouldn’t you want to spend more uninterrupted time with him? - Do not get guilty of being distracted:
God understands our way of thinking. We are creatures with a very high sense of thinking energy. Understand that God also shows mercy on our mental struggles. He appreciates it if we fight for him. For it is better to struggle with God in prayer, than to be at peace away from God. - Find a devotional prayer:
Perhaps you get distracted during prayer because your prayer is not in line with any purpose. You pray just for the sake of praying. But devotional prayers can help you focus more by having a concrete purpose for praying. There are devotional prayers such as prayers for the souls in purgatory. Devotedly praying for the souls in purgatory can give you a sense of purpose in helping our departed brethren. It helps if we know what we are really praying for. - Do not pray hastily:
Let’s be honest, when we hastily pray, that’s because we want to end our prayer as soon as possible so we can go ahead and do other things. Hastily praying can become a habit. And next thing you know, you think it’s your prayer life that’s getting in the way of things, and not the other way around.
By implementing the techniques outlined in this article, you can foster a deeper connection with the divine and experience the transformative power of prayer in its purest form. Remember, the journey towards spiritual awakening is not without its challenges, but with dedication, mindfulness, and perseverance, you can transcend the distractions that threaten to derail your sacred communion and unlock the joys of a good prayer life…. May God be with you always!
