My family and I recently watched the movie “Up” and the dog character, Dug, really reminded me of how we can often get distracted in prayer. Dug is found at times in the middle of a focused conversation and then suddenly, without warning, gets distracted when he sees something and shouts out the thing that is distracting him. The most well-known example of this is “squirrel!”.

 

 

How do we focus our prayer time and deal with the squirrel moments?

 

Our minds are amazing things and thoughts are triggered by smell, music, images and emotion.  This is not a bad thing, but for many our minds can feel very cluttered when we are  praying.

 

How do we focus in on praying?

 

It is common for many when they have set times of prayer to have their minds go every which direction than what they have set out to do in the moment.

Have you ever been there?  We all will at some point.

 

Here are four things to help you when you get distracted in your prayer time.

a. Incorporate it into your prayer.

I do not know if there is a reason your mind went to that person or situation or all the things you need to do but why do you have fight it?

If it is something that needs to be written down, do so and pray about it. As people or situations come to mind, pray about or for them.

b. Read scripture

This can often help focus the mind and you can use the themes in the passage you are reading to guide your time.  Find a few passages that you can pull up to help you focus and calm yourself.  In my life psalm 23, 46, 90, 119, 145 are just a few I use.

c.  Understand your environment.

We all will connect deeper with God in different environments.  We need to become very aware of our environment and where we are at physically.  Perhaps there is a need to shut certain lights off or turn them on. Many are going to need to shut the phone or parts of the phone off.  In my current season of life, set prayer times need to be when my kids are sleeping or off busy for a time where they will not be coming to me.  Play around with your environment.

d. Deep breathing

There was a moment of great anxiety in our life at one point.  We had invited a number of the leaders over to our house after church and wanted them to pray with us.  We struggled to share what was going on.  Then one of our other pastors told us to take some deep breaths.  He instructed us to count to 10 and as we did take a deep breath, then push it all out.

 

Doing such an exercise can be a great way of calming oneself.  Sometimes I image as I blow out that I am pushing out all the worries and distractions and burdens I carry.  Usually, I will do the breathing in and out a few times.  I have learned there can be a physical impact upon my body by doing this.  In return, it can help me focus.

 

There are many more tricks and ideas I could add, but what about you, do you have any tricks or ideas?