Are you distracted when praying?

[Conservative]

I realize this must happen to everyone but I’m wondering if anyone has either anything to share - or suggest - on being distracted while praying. Sometimes - maybe too often - I’m just saying the words while thinking of something else when I should be meditating. For instance, during the Rosary of the Holy Wounds, we’re supposed to be meditating on Our Lord’s Wounds but if our minds are wandering, then how good is that prayer? Have we even achieved the desired goal of helping some souls?

I see some of you pray during other activities. God bless you. Please what’s your secret for keeping your mind on your prayer? I really want my prayers to be more than just words.

 

[sawman]

I realize this must happen to everyone but I’m wondering if anyone has either anything to share - or suggest - on being distracted while praying. Sometimes - maybe too often - I’m just saying the words while thinking of something else when I should be meditating. For instance, during the Rosary of the Holy Wounds, we’re supposed to be meditating on Our Lord’s Wounds but if our minds are wandering, then how good is that prayer? Have we even achieved the desired goal of helping some souls?

I see some of you pray during other activities. God bless you. Please what’s your secret for keeping your mind on your prayer? I really want my prayers to be more than just words.

Dear Conservative, I wonder about this same thing a lot,even during prayer!I have noticed that over the last several years,although my prayer times have improved in terms of regularity and depth(?),it is very rare that I can go for very long without distraction.I’m beging to think that it is a permanent condition.My tactic is as soon as I realize I’m distracted is to stop,re-focus,and go on.The less time I spend on it the less distracting it is,and somehow the easier to spot.I think Our Lord sometimes has a good laugh over us.One thing though,this helps me too is that in heaven there will be no distractions.Thank-You Jesus!

 

[anu]

Even I have the same problem. What I do is I just ignore that i was distracted because thinking about that, i cannot continue with my prayers further. So I just ignore and continue with the prayers without distraction.

Anu

 

[Coreopisis]

All -
God loves that you pray, even if it isn’t perfect. God created us and because he created us he knows and understands us better than we understand ourselves. God understands that our minds wander and it’s ok. God is happy and rejoices that you are willing yourselves to pray and willing yourselves to focus. That is where the POWER of prayer lies, in the WILL of the person praying.

I suggest that before you begin your prayers you talk to God for a moment and tell Him that you love Him and that you invite Him into your life and into your prayers. Ask him to guide your prayers and then begin. If you wander and you have a technique to get yourself back on track that is ok but do not beat yourself up for wandering. Know that God is rejoicing that you are praying. Remember that it doesn’t say in the bible to pray perfectly, it says just to pray.

With love,
Sarah

 

[Conservative]

All -
God loves that you pray, even if it isn’t perfect.,
,
I suggest that before you begin your prayers you talk to God for a moment and tell Him that you love Him and that you invite Him into your life and into your prayers. Ask him to guide your prayers and then begin. If you wander and you have a technique to get yourself back on track that is ok but do not beat yourself up for wandering. Know that God is rejoicing that you are praying. Remember that it doesn’t say in the bible to pray perfectly, it says just to pray.

With love,
Sarah

Great idea ! Many thanks for that thought and the suggestion.
God bless you !

 

[asia53]

Oh, my heavens, yes! Usually, when praying the rosary. I stop, apologize, re-focus, and re-start at that same point again. I work on this constantly.

God Bless!

Asia

 

[JimR-OCDS]

When you’re praying the Rosary, use the words of the Hail Mary as though they were a compass needle, in that, they point you back to your intention, and that is, the meditation on the mystery at hand.

When you find that you’ve wandered off, don’t panic, just gently return to the Hail Mary, and the meditation.

Never never, work anxiously at prayer, or get upset with yourself, for not staying focused. We’re human beings and our minds are constantly being bombarded with thoughts. The Hail Mary prayers, can be used to slow down the thoughts, so that you can meditate on the mystery at hand.

Also remember, when you prayer, Christ is present within you. He understands.

Jim

 

[Coreopisis]

Oh, my heavens, yes! Usually, when praying the rosary. I stop, apologize, re-focus, and re-start at that same point again. I work on this constantly.

God Bless!

Asia

And God loves you for your efforts. Your will and intent is pure. You have nothing to fear.

 

[Conservative]

,
,
When you find that you’ve wandered off, don’t panic, just gently return to the Hail Mary, and the meditation.

Never never, work anxiously at prayer, or get upset with yourself, for not staying focused. We’re human beings and our minds are constantly being bombarded with thoughts. The Hail Mary prayers, can be used to slow down the thoughts, so that you can meditate on the mystery at hand.

Also remember, when you prayer, Christ is present within you. He understands.

Jim

What? Are you in my head when I’m praying? You nailed the entire scenario !

 

[neslor617]

I agree to do the best you can, and we aren’t expected to be perfect. It is very human to be distracted and God knows this…I just keep going through the prayer anyway, trying to stay focused. It is still pleasing to God, even if we aren’t totally focused.

 

[ac_claire]

Conservative-

This is more of an offbeat tip, but it does help me. It’s from a book called Letters to Malcolm by C.S. Lewis.

A priest once told him that the perfect place to pray was in a railroad compartment when taking the train. Why? Because it provides “just the right amount of distraction.”

It’s like, you know how some people fall asleep easier with some “white noise” in the background? Lewis says: “Sometimes perfect silence and solitude can leave you more open to distractions that come from within…a moderate amount of external distraction can be easier to cope with.”

What I do is I’ll turn on my ceiling fan or a small oscillating fan in my room, and the soft whirring noise is perfect. It really does help me to focus. I imagine that some soft, mellow instrumental or classical music at a low volume might work, too.

Hop this helps.

 

[RAGGANDI]

I realize this must happen to everyone but I’m wondering if anyone has either anything to share - or suggest - on being distracted while praying. Sometimes - maybe too often - I’m just saying the words while thinking of something else when I should be meditating. For instance, during the Rosary of the Holy Wounds, we’re supposed to be meditating on Our Lord’s Wounds but if our minds are wandering, then how good is that prayer? Have we even achieved the desired goal of helping some souls?

I see some of you pray during other activities. God bless you. Please what’s your secret for keeping your mind on your prayer? I really want my prayers to be more than just words.

This happens to all of us, I’m afraid. A little trick I use is one I read about somewhere. After the words “…thy womb, Jesus” add another word or phrase pertaining to the mystery. For instance if saying the Joyful Mysteries, (I.e the Nativity) after speaking the name of Jesus, say “Laying in a manger”, or “wrapped in swaddling clothes” or “the Savior is born” It is extremely helpful to use this tactic during EACH Hail Mary using a different word or phrase between each one. I hope this helps.