Distraction in Prayer

One

Distraction is a universal problem in prayer.

I have a good friend, Katie, who is deaf. She does amazing things teaching the Catholic faith to the deaf community. One day I said to her that maybe being deaf had one blessing in that there were less distractions for prayer. She said, “Oh no! There is so much noise in my head that it’s very distracting.”

We all have it. This terrible time with distraction while we’re doing our best to focus on higher things.

In her autobiography, often referred to as The Book of Her Life, St. Teresa recounts her challenges with distractions when she writes, "It is as though the mind were a madman, no one can tie down, but goes hither and thither; for though we try to recollect it, our efforts are vain unless the Lord puts His hand to it." And "My mind is so wild that it distresses me to see that it does not remain where I wish it to."

So you are not alone, even great saints suffered from distractions in prayer.

So what can we do about it?

Two

Two Kinds of Distractions

Distractions come in two forms: things that are fine but out of place or stuff that’s totally inappropriate in any context. Those are the two kinds of distractions we get in prayer.

We get distracted when our thoughts keep wandering to things that are fine in themselves, but not what we should be thinking about in prayer. Practical things, like our to-do list, when was the last time we got an oil change, the email we need to reply to, what am I going to make for dinner, and when am I going to mow the lawn? But also other things, scenes from the movie or the show we watched last night. Something you saw on the news this morning. An interaction you had at work yesterday. These aren’t evil thoughts but your thoughts during your prayer time are supposed to be directed to God.

Then, more disturbingly, we get other thoughts that we shouldn’t be having at all, let alone in our time for contact with the holy. Sexual thoughts, thoughts of resentment blossoming into revenge scenarios, ego-boosting self-celebration, rehearsing our own triumphs, whether real or imaginary.

So there are, so to speak, innocent distractions, and not-so-innocent distractions in prayer.

What can we do about them?

Three

Innocent Distractions

We have to fight all distractions, even when the subject matter of the distraction is neutral. Because, after all, this is our time for thinking about God. This is our time to focus on him. Imagine you make an appointment to have a heart-to-heart with a spouse or a kid or a friend, an important conversation, and they spend the whole time texting or browsing on their phone. Even if their texts or searches aren’t offensive in themselves, it’s still offensive that they would do this right now. 

So too with the Lord. This is our time to talk with Him. The fact that we can’t stay focused on Him says that there’s something wrong.

Here’s where the distractions are actually revealing, our distractions in prayer can actually manifest to us our own undue attachments.

As the Catechism says, “A distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for Him and lead us to resolutely offer Him our heart to be purified” (CCC #2729).

In other words, when we get distracted, bring it to God. Say, “I know I shouldn’t be thinking about this right now. Obviously, this thing looms too large in my life. Help me, Lord, to let go of it.” Then Say, “Lord, here are all the ways you are greater and more important than this thing that distracts me from you.” Turn the distraction back to God. Talk to him about them and then you make them into prayer. 

Four

Temptations

There are also times when evil thoughts come out of the soul during prayer: lust, resentment, vanity, doubt, and even anger at God.

These things should be far from our minds at all times, but especially when we’re in the presence of the Holy of Holies, the Lord of Lords, the All-Powerful and All-Good God. And yet, at the end of the day, that’s why we’re here in prayer. To seek God’s forgiveness, His mercy, His healing.

The saints have pointed out that when someone is begging on the street, the beggar doesn’t try to look financially well-off. He doesn’t try to look well-to-do or well-fed. The smart beggar tries to highlight his poverty, his malnourishment, his rags, his unwashed appearance, since that’ll be a lot more effective in showing passersby how much he needs help.

We should do the same to God when evil thoughts crowd in at prayer time. Say, “Look, Lord! Do you see?! Do you see these thoughts? Do you see my sickness, my perversion? Do you see how lost I am?” Say, “Help me, Lord! Forgive me! Heal me! You’re the only hope I have – but I know Your power and Your richness are sufficient to heal and restore even the wreck You see here in front of You.”

Turn your twisted thoughts into an opportunity of repentance and trust in God’s mercy. For He has come not to heal the healthy, but sinners.

Five

Using Distractions to Return to God

There are a lot of good techniques to help fight distractions. Having a pen to take notes or journal. Having a spiritual book to help you meditate.

Definitely, make use of these things. But words on paper, whether you read them or write them, are no substitute for closing your eyes and trying to talk to God directly. When you do that, distractions will come. Your imagination will break into your little private chapel and start jabbering. But as we’ve seen, you don’t have to squash every distraction. 

As the Catechism says, “To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap” (CCC #2729).

Rather, capitalize on them. Repurpose distraction. Harness every distraction trying to lead you away from God, and steer it so that it ends up bringing you closer to God. Your prayer, your time spent with the Lord, will be all the more sincere as a result.