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I have never been tested for ADHD; however, I am certain, I would pass that test with flying colors.
So, I write this post with great empathy for those who have trouble staying focused during prayer time.
Here are some tricks I use to help me be more focused:
1. Listen to a praise song that really grabs you emotionally. Two of my favorites are “Lord I Need You” by Matt Maher and “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.
2. Pray a short prayer. St. Therese’ of Liseux described prayer as a “surge of the heart”. Whatever you are thinking about, whatever is on your heart – that can be turned into prayer by just calling out to Our Lord and asking him, “Dear God, this is really on my heart today. Please help . . . . (fill in what you have been thinking about and worried about). Then be polite and say thank you for listening! Keep it simple! Breathe deep, close your eyes and say “Jesus”. His Holy Name is a prayer. Here are other short prayers (and you can print them out too): 11 Quick, but Powerful, Prayers
3. Pick up a pen and notebook. One of the main reasons why I love to prayer journal is because it helps me truly focus on talking to God. I write him a letter. I copy a prayer and read it over – often more than once. I find myself thanking Our Lord for all his blessings and pouring my heart out to him. I spend more time writing than I would saying the prayers out loud. I devote that time to him and the physical contact with the pen and paper make me feel more in touch with our Creator. (Read more about prayer journaling from two of my posts: Benefits of Prayer Journaling and Prayer Journal Prompts: Praying for People)
It can really be fun to prayer journal! DaySpring has Journaling Kits you can order online! I love this starter kit from DaySpring: Illustrated Faith – Genesis Kit
4. Choose surroundings that will draw your attention to Our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A Eucharistic Adoration Chapel or a nature center. Or if you want to pray right where you are, close your eyes. A fellow blogger and great friend of mine just wrote a post about going to Adoration – you can read that here:Your Spirit Needs to Rest in the Presence of Jesus
I also wrote about how we really do receive some special gifts when we spend an hour with Jesus in this post: Five Presents You Can Open in His Presence
5. Call on prayerful friends. We as Catholics could learn a lot from our Christian brothers and sisters. It’s totally okay to pray with others. In fact, we are supposed to – and not just at Mass. Doing this brought me so much joy and hope. Consider starting a rosary group! (5 Reasons to Start a Rosary Group)
6. Consider a different type of prayer. I once purchased Wayne Dyer’s Getting in the Gap book which comes with an audio guided meditation session. Dyer uses the Our Father (the Lord’s Prayer) as a way to teach meditation. This is a great way to practice silencing our minds – and I’ve heard many times, God speaks in the silence.
7. Use Youtube. No, seriously, I’m not kidding. If you are seeking help with meditating upon the mysteries of the Rosary, there are many videos that will give you visuals of the mysteries (like this one: The Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary). Some have pictures, some have modern video clips!
Tell us, how do you keep from drifting while you pray?
