Silent prayer and distractions

[jackiem]

So I have always heard about silent prayer and have believed that having ADD basically makes it impossible. My spiritual director was talking about how good it was so I began to implement it into my daily prayer time. However, I 95% of the time I’m just day dreaming, I focus back for about 30 seconds but then start daydreaming again. Does anyone have this problem or tips to overcome it? I’m just starting out with 10 minutes and I’m trying to stick with it even though I don’t feel it is fruitful. There have been a few times where I get a sense from God about an image or word but I’m never sure if that’s just me thinking of something to make myself feel better.

 

[JaredR]

When I practice silent prayer, I pay attention to my breathing to stay focused, and then I rest in the awareness of God’s loving presence. It’s not a feeling or an image or anything like that (don’t look for these); it’s an act of faith that He is there. The breath is nothing mystical or anything like that; it’s just a way to stay alert and focused in the moment. This prayer should not be forced or overblown. It’s an awareness of God’s presence and nothing more. I probably sound overly cautious, but we have to be careful to avoid certain errors. We don’t want to turn this simple awareness of God into something grand or mystical like Far-Eastern meditation.

 

[Trishie]

Don’t let the distractions discourage you. It’s human to have those.
Even St Therese admitted to distractions in prayer.
You’re doing this for you, but primarily for God.
Please continue to give God this gift.
The fact that you have ADD and many distractions, makes it a more valuable gift of yourself to God.
If your distractions are about people and situations, ask God to make any thought that pops into you mind into a prayer for those people or situations.

 

[daeve]

I have a very hard time with this. As soon as I realize what I’ve done, I start over out loud, and get softer until I’m not talking anymore. Don’t beat yourself up over this. Just get back on the proverbial horse and try again.

 

[Alan55]

You might want to build in some sort of repetitive activity as you pray. The rosary functions on this idea, in part: keep the fingers and mouth busy so that the mind can focus on the mysteries. A Carmelite hermit that I know prays while walking with her dog in the woods. The book “The Way of a Pilgrim” involves a man on a walking pilgrimage in Russia while reciting the Jesus Prayer.

You don’t have to sit still to be still inside. For some people, sitting still seems to make their thoughts go crazy.

 

[m134e5]

So I have always heard about silent prayer and have believed that having ADD basically makes it impossible. My spiritual director was talking about how good it was so I began to implement it into my daily prayer time. However, I 95% of the time I’m just day dreaming, I focus back for about 30 seconds but then start daydreaming again. Does anyone have this problem or tips to overcome it? I’m just starting out with 10 minutes and I’m trying to stick with it even though I don’t feel it is fruitful. There have been a few times where I get a sense from God about an image or word but I’m never sure if that’s just me thinking of something to make myself feel better.

Try saying a short prayer (a Hail Mary, a Glory Be, or some other really short prayer) every few minutes- that can help you keep your focus. Playing prayerful music in the background can also be helpful.

 

[jackiem]

Thanks for all the advise. Now I’m trying to focus more in just resting in the Lord rather than hoping for some type of sign or voice.

I do pray the rosary everyday, my prayer time is about an hour and the rosary is after the 10 minutes of silence.