How to Stay Focused When You Pray: 5 Keys to Powerful Prayers
Do you want to develop a consistent and powerful prayer life? I know that prayer is essential and that my well-being, faith, and relationship with the Lord depend on it, but prayer often gets pushed into the cracks of my day rather than set apart as the main priority.
Or, when I sit down to pray, I can’t stay focused for more than a few minutes because I’m easily distracted. Can you relate?
It can be challenging to know how to pray and what to say. Or how to keep your mind from wandering. These struggles are normal, but you can take steps to foster a more focused and powerful prayer life.
As James 5:16 says in the New Living Translation, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” In this post, we’ll explore five keys to staying focused in prayer so you can experience those powerful prayers that refresh your soul and impact the world around you!
Does God Hear Me When I Pray?
How do I talk to someone I can’t see or hear? Kids often ask this question, but we must admit that adults struggle just as much (or maybe more) with this aspect of prayer. So before we even dive into how to spend our prayer time, we need to be sure of this truth: the Lord hears us when we pray.
Even if we can’t see or feel Him, we know He’s there, and we’re called to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). So we’re not just reactive to our emotions or experience but motivated by a deep faith and trust in God’s nature and presence–He is always there for us.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. Talking to God is one of the easiest things we can do. We don’t have to prepare a fancy script. We don’t have to be at a certain “level” of holiness for Him to hear us; we can come just as we are.
So as we dive into some practical tips to stay focused in prayer, know that God does hear you, and you can freely come to Him in prayer at any hour of the day about any topic, no matter how mundane or even ugly it might be. We must know God as a righteous and holy Father who loves us. He doesn’t want to condemn us but reconcile us to Himself through Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18).
He welcomes us with open arms.
Now, let’s dive into the five keys to staying focused when you pray.
#1 Give Yourself Space to Focus
Build in a moment of transition
Have you ever attempted to have a deep and meaningful conversation with someone while they're scrolling on their phone?
Unfortunately, the connection isn't there!
Sometimes I'm "that girl" when I sit down to pray. I want to connect intimately with the Lord, but my mind starts scrolling through my to-do list and conversations that may happen.
And sometimes, I literally pick up my phone when a task comes to mind that I don't want to forget, and then distractions take over.
Part of the reason our thoughts bounce around like crazy pinballs is that we so rarely allow ourselves to be still and silent. We constantly multitask and have a laundry list of should-do's and piling up.
The second we get quiet, everything bubbles up. And that's ok. In fact, sometimes that's exactly what we need . . . an opportunity to let it all out.
You cannot rush your prayer time. Instead, allow yourself space to work through the mental junk, get focused, and connect to God's presence.
He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalms 46:10)
#2 Clear the Decks to Fully Focus
Take A Timeout and Scan Body, Soul, and Spirit
Before you dive straight into your prayer requests, pause and take a moment to scan your body, soul, and spirit.
Mentally scan your body from head to toe. Notice where you have pain or discomfort.
Note where you're holding tightness and tension in muscles or joints. Then breathe and relax those areas. Are these aches and tension a sign of stress?
Recognize if you are tired, hungry, or have other physical needs, and make a note of how you can better care for your body.
Check in with your emotions. What are you feeling? Are you rushed, stressed, anxious, maybe even angry?
Examine what thoughts you are having and hold them up to the standard of God's word. Do your thoughts align with the enemy's lies or with God's truth?
Finally, connect spiritually. The Holy Spirit lives in you, and you have the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you any blocks that would interfere with your prayer time, the main ones being unconfessed sin and offense or woundings that need to be addressed.
These steps are essential for experiencing healing and breakthrough and ensuring that your thoughts and prayers align with God's truth. Too often, we try to bandaid surface-level issues, but the deeper problem continues to trigger us, popping up at home, then work, then a random time in public.
Allow the Lord to help you dig to the root of your emotions, thoughts, and challenges.
"But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you." (John 14:26 AMP)
#3 Remember That Focus is Active, Not Passive
You have the Power to Direct Your Thoughts
Finding focus in prayer is a challenge because there’s a battle for our attention. And our thoughts and words are the key that unlocks breakthrough.
Have you ever had made-up, hypothetical conversations with people in the shower or while driving? Or while trying to pray?
Usually, when we're mentally rehashing the past or hypothetically projecting the future, it's a clue to our deeper anxieties, tensions, and insecurities.
While it’s good to uncover these pain points, we aren't meant to ruminate in dark turmoil. Instead, bring them into the light so God can bring insight, clarity, and healing.
Recognize the enemy and stand against him; he is no match for the Spirit of God in you!
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)
Prayer is not a passive activity, and we are not at the mercy of every thought that pops into our heads.
To engage in powerful, effective prayer, we align our thoughts with the truth of God's Word. Repeat it, speak it out loud, or write it out.
Staying focused takes work. Knowing that this is normal (and not beating yourself up because your thoughts drift) is half the battle. Once you accept that your mind will wander, you can be more compassionate and firm with yourself.
A common saying in meditation is to think of your thoughts like clouds passing through the sky of your mental landscape. Allow them to pass without judging them or trying to hold on to them. It's crucial that you don't feel guilty or discouraged; just continue to redirect your thoughts every time to praying God's truth.
You have the power to choose what thoughts you dwell on.
#4 Flow Through Distractions and Refocus
Use Paper to Put things in their Proper Place.
Instead of trying to fight the random thoughts flying around in your head, embrace them.
Keep a notepad or planner beside you, so if you remember something for the grocery list or an email that needs to be sent, you can write it down. Although these are small things, it's mentally exhausting to keep all those reminders in the back of your mind, and the effort will subconsciously distract you.
Write these reminders down quickly and then refocus.
Other times, those sticky, pesky thoughts may be about something more complicated than a chore or to-do. For example, more profound stress about finances, relationships, or an upcoming confrontational conversation pops up as you pray.
Use the same approach. Write a list, and as you do so, repeat a simple prayer such as, "Lord, I commit this issue to you and I know you have the answer."
Then return your focus to the prayer or scripture meditation you committed to. You may come back and pray specifically about these secondary items that popped up in more detail later, but you don't want to chase every rabbit trail.
When we constantly jump around mentally, we can feel exhausted and like we never make headway or find clarity or breakthrough. There is tremendous power in the peace of staying focused. We know that God controls all things; there is nothing he is unaware of or will forget.
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (Isaiah 26:3)
Once you've successfully brain-dumped those distracting thoughts onto paper, you can move forward with prayer.
#5 Develop a Prayer Ritual
Quiet Your Mind and Connect with a Regular Routine
Having a regular prayer routine will help you transition into a relaxed and focused state. The more consistently you repeat the same steps, the more effectively you can quiet your mental chatter and enter God's presence.
This isn't about creating a religious process you must follow every time to "count" as true prayer. Prayers can be short and straightforward.
However, we develop conditioned responses (like wanting popcorn when we watch a movie) as humans. I have seen some helpful "power hour" quiet time routines and morning rituals available, and you can start with one of these if that helps you. (Pin the example below.)
These are fantastic tools, but ultimately you have to find what works best for you. For example, I am a very active and kinesthetic learner, so moving and getting energy out through worship, walking, and writing can be the best ritual for me to settle into my prayer time.
When I have a hard time settling into prayer, here are some of the tools that help me get spiritually connected, you could easily string some or all of these together in a prayer rhythm that works for you.
Putting on a worship song
Counting your breaths - a slow and even inhale and exhale; when your thoughts drift, refocus on your breathing.
Repeating a scripture verse or prayer like Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that He is God
Reading from the Psalms
Making a list of petitions and requests
Thanking and praising God for who He is
Reading scripture out loud
Writing down scripture or prayers
Remember there is not a right or wrong way to pray, but God does want us all to go deeper with Him. We’re believing that there will be fresh fire in your prayer life!
