Distracted In Prayer? Here Are 3 Tips To Help

In my post for last Monday, I offered some suggestions for making Advent a very meaningful time of preparation for the birth of Christ and fine-tuning your prayer life was part of that. But as it is with many things we want to improve, sometimes it's easier said than done and quite often when we take time to pray with the best of intentions, our thoughts run away from us. We can become totally focused on everything except prayer without even realizing it's happening.

For example, I love praying the Sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary and contemplating all that Christ suffered for me. It is inevitable that at some point in praying those decades, I will envision a scene from the movie The Passion of the Christ because I found it to be such a vivid and powerful depiction of Christ's passion. But if I'm not careful, I'll start imagining what it was like behind the scenes on that movie and what it might have been like to be on the set with Mel Gibson and Jim Caveizel. Then I will remember sitting in the theater watching that movie with a dear friend I haven't seen in a while and wonder how she's doing these days. I tell myself how terrible I am for not sending her a Christmas card last year and now I'm stressing out over the fact that Christmas is right around the corner. My shopping isn't done! And then... I come to the last bead of that decade and I wake up to the fact that I hadn't focused on any of it! Believe me, if you struggle with being distracted in prayer, you are definitely not the only one.

But, fortunately for me, I've learned to not beat myself up about it, I persevere and refocus my sincere attention on the next mystery. It's important to remember that God does not expect us to be perfect in prayer, but He does want us to give our best effort.

It's like a bridegroom who wakes up on the day of his wedding and realizes he’s overslept. He's late! What is his bride thinking? He races around getting his things in order and rushes to shower and dress. A few minutes later he runs out the door and gets into the car. As he drives away, he realizes he's forgotten his cuff links, but he can't stop and turn around. Better late with no cuff links than miss his own wedding. Suddenly, there is a loud noise and the car begins to bump violently. Flat tire! The bridegroom gets out of the car and getting out his tools and spare, changes the tire. Now, he is really late! But he presses on even though he knows his bride must be worried. Fifteen minutes later, he has tightened the last lug nut and put away his tools. Closing the trunk, he turns to get back in the car and as he approaches the driver’s side door, a bus drives by, splattering him with mud. The bridegroom looks at his clothes, utterly distressed, but then hops in the car and races off.

Finally, he arrives at the church only to find the parking lot empty. Everyone has gone home. He hangs his head as he walks inside the church. He is sorrowful and afraid of what his bride might be thinking. As he walks up the aisle, the bride sees him from the altar where she had been sitting on the steps. She certainly had felt he had changed his mind but when she sees him and his dirty clothes, his wrecked hair and the sadness on his face, she is filled with love for him. She doesn’t care about the way he looks. He didn't stand her up! He still loves her! She can see what he’s been through and the fact that he persevered, he never gave up the fight to reach her, made her love him all the more.

This is a simple illustration but all the same, it is the way God sees us as we struggle with distractions in prayer. Our thoughts wander, we’re distracted, we’re late, stuff happens. But our imperfections are not what God takes note of. He is pleased by the fact that we don’t give up. That’s all he asks of us, that we persevere. So, here are a few suggestions to help you remain focused in prayer:

1. Ask God for the grace to stay focused.

2. Pray in a place that is as distraction-free as possible.

3. Don't get discouraged. If you find your thoughts wandering don't give up praying, just try again.

And as always, I am praying for you! Please pray for me, too and feel free to contact me at asklisa@catholicmatch.com.