Cancelling Distractions in Prayer

Ohmygoodness, how I get distracted.

I realized this years ago when I started prayerwalking. I’d be praying for everything I saw as I walked along when all of a sudden I’d think about that incomplete lesson plan waiting for me on my desk in my classroom.

Don’t forget to copy off that handout.

Make sure you change the seating plan of the desks.

Remember to do a followup call to your speaker to make sure she’s coming.

Increasingly, I grew frustrated with how many times distractions would pull me from my attempt to pray.

But then I thought: Pray for the distractions!

So I did . . . and guess what? Soon I found it easier to stay focused on prayer. Perhaps the enemy grew a bit frustrated by the fact that the distractions were actually drawing me more deeply into prayer as I began trusting God for every single detail of my day ahead.

The result was a more peaceful intro to my day . . . and a more confident walk as I taught teenagers in my English classes.

Pray for your distractions today. That could look something like this:

Lord, I trust you to help me to remember to call my mom about her doctor appointment.

Father God, I am concerned about my son Jason but I put him in your hands, knowing that you love him even more than I do.

I have a crazy work day ahead, Lord, but I look to you to settle my heart and provide the wisdom and strength for each decision.

Keep looking up . . . living your life prayerfully . . . even putting those distractions in God’s hands.

Janet McHenry is an award-winning speaker and the author of 24 books, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus. Does your group need a speaker for your next event? She would LOVE to team with you!