In another blog, I mentioned that prayer is hard work, and indeed it is.  For many of us, stilling our minds to quietly focus on any one thing is difficult enough, and when you add the reality of spiritual warfare – with the devil doing all he can to keep us from praying – the task is even more challenging. Today I want to share with you some practices I have discovered that help me stay focused and communicate with God.  

5 Prayer Time Focus Hacks

Use a Template

By template, I mean intentional movement through prayer.  A template gives me accountability and purpose so that my mind does not have the freedom to wander on its own course.  2 Corinthians 10:5 challenges us to bring every though captive to obey Christ.  Never is this needed more than when we focus our minds on prayer.

One template that I have used often is an acrostic with the word ACTS. 

I begin my prayer time with adoration to God. I praise God for who He IS, His attributes and His characteristics that make Him the great God that He is. 

From adoration, I move to a time of confession, confessing both my sin (1 John 1:9) and my complete and total dependence on Him. 

After a time of confession, I spend time in thanksgiving.  I give thanks to God for what He has done for me and for others I have mentioned to Him in prayer.

After thanksgiving, I then move to supplication, a fancy word for “asking.”  During this time, I intercede for others about needs they share with me and that I have observed in their lives.  I also pray for issues facing our church, our world, and I pray for our leaders.

The template I use most often, I have named “look up, look in, look out.”

I look up in praise to God for who He is and thanksgiving to God for specific things He has done.  Then, I declare His ultimate worthiness and my utter dependence on Him.  I look in to confess any sin I may be harboring and to pray for personal needs, requests, and direction.  Finally, I look out to pray for the needs of others they have share with me.

Also, each day of the week I regularly prayer for a different group of people. These groups include fellow pastors, church leaders, teachers, shut-ins, etc.

Maintain a Prayer List

A list gives us a guide to follow during the supplication stages.  If I don’t have plan of what I will pray about, then I have to allow my mind to think about things, and in those times it is prone to drift.  I recommend, however, that you keep your prayer list concise and updated. If you have too many items, the list seems daunting. The wandering mind will grow weary working through it.

I recommend two different prayer lists.  First, have a daily list with items you feel a need to pray about every day.  These may include ongoing needs in your life or those others have shared with you.  You may choose to pray daily for your family and others closest your heart.  Then I also like to keep a weekly list, divided into days of the week.  I pray for certain groups of people on the same day each week.  You might include church leaders, political leaders, extended family, other ministries, and others on a list such as this.  You can’t pray for everything everyday, so divide them into blocks and pray for them on specifics days of the week.

Pray Out Loud

You may feel uncomfortable doing it at first. But praying out loud even when you are alone will help you concentrate on your words and keep your mind.  Praying out loud allows you to listen in on your prayers and pay more close attention to them.  An added benefit is that you grow accustomed to hearing yourself talk to God and you will eventually feel more at ease praying aloud publicly if requested.

Write Out Your Prayers

Letter writing is a lost discipline.  I have an aunt who still takes the time to write a monthly to family members, with pen…on paper!  We love reading it because it is special.  There is nothing wrong with writing out prayers to God.  An added benefit is the ability to look back at them later and see what you prayed about and remember how God answered your prayers.

Lose the “Amen”

A while back, I decided to quit saying “amen” at then end of my personal prayers.  “Amen” is to a prayer what “goodbye” is to a phone call – a precursor to disconnecting, hanging up.  I want prayer that is an ongoing conversation with God.  I want my thoughts “live streaming” between me and God so as a symbolic reminder, I don’t say “amen.”  It is as if I don’t hang up and disconnect with God.

Hopefully these hacks will help you keep up your focus.  If you wish, click on the comment tab above and share ways you have found to stay focused in your prayer time.

Also, I recently wrote a blog titled 7 Elements of Prayer that Connects With God and you may find it helpful as well.