When You Can't Focus in Prayer, Try This (Cozy Guided Prayer)

Welcome to this prayer time. Today, we’ll talk to the Lord about what is truly in our hearts.

This prayer is adapted from John Coe and Kyle Strobel’s book, Where Prayer Becomes Real, Chapter 1. https://link.amazon/B06Rdg5YY (affiliate link)

If your mind wanders, don’t push those thoughts away or try to force them to stop. Instead, share them with God. Tell him everything that is on your heart. He already sees it, and he understands it better than you do. As you notice what is happening inside you, remember that you can be honest with God. You don’t need to be afraid of the truth.

First, take a moment to sit quietly with the Lord.

Tell him that he is your God. He knows you and sees everything in your life. Tell him that you want to be with him.

Now, listen to these words from Psalm 27:4–5. Notice what you think and feel as you listen:

One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

    and set me high upon a rock.

What thoughts or feelings came up as you heard those words? Can you rest quietly with the Lord? If you can, praise him and thank him.

Next, ask him, “Lord, what does my heart want? Is there something I want more than being with you?”

Maybe your thoughts turn to your worries or everything you need to do this week. Talk to God about why these things draw your attention.

Do you feel uneasy because you aren’t in control? Does planning your week help you feel more in control? Does prayer feel like you aren’t getting anything done, so you start thinking about your tasks? Whatever comes up, talk to God about it.

Let yourself notice the things you love and want most. Imagine holding them in your hands and offering them to God. Trust that he is enough for you in this moment.

Christ died for you while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8). You did not have to become perfect before he loved you. And if you belong to Christ Jesus, you are no longer under God’s guilty judgment (Romans 8:1).

With this in mind, let yourself respond to God’s kindness, even as you see your struggles and sins.

Finally, ask him, “Lord, help me understand what matters most to my heart. Teach me your wisdom, and show me how to live.”