Episode Summary
Do distracting thoughts keep pulling you away when you try to pray?
In this episode of Ask A Priest, Father Tim gives a gentle and honest answer to a struggle almost everyone experiences, distraction in prayer. Whether your mind wanders to lunch, an awkward memory, a difficult relationship, or something you’re worried about, the first step is not to panic or shame yourself. Jesus is not scandalized by your distractions.
Instead, Father Tim offers three simple ways forward: don’t be scandalized by your humanity, gently reroute your heart back to Jesus, and pay attention when the same distraction keeps returning, because it might be the very place Jesus wants to heal.
Prayer is not about perfect focus. It’s about being with Jesus.
Even when your mind wanders, He is patient, gentle, and ready to guide you back with love.
Episode Transcript
[00:00:00 –> 00:00:03] How do I lessen my distracting thoughts in prayer?
[00:00:03 –> 00:00:05] (soft music)
[00:00:07 –> 00:00:10] It’s literally the theme of my life.
[00:00:10 –> 00:00:12] I am always getting distracted in my prayer,
[00:00:12 –> 00:00:13] and so how do we lessen it?
[00:00:13 –> 00:00:15] This is a little vulnerable moment,
[00:00:15 –> 00:00:17] but there was one time when I was celebrating mass,
[00:00:17 –> 00:00:19] walking up to give the homily.
[00:00:19 –> 00:00:22] And as I’m walking up to give the homily,
[00:00:22 –> 00:00:24] I was thinking about what I was going to eat for lunch,
[00:00:24 –> 00:00:27] a really nice tasty sandwich.
[00:00:27 –> 00:00:29] And in that distracting thought,
[00:00:29 –> 00:00:32] totally blanked on what I wanted to say during the homily.
[00:00:32 –> 00:00:35] So I just said something really stupid
[00:00:35 –> 00:00:36] and then sat back down.
[00:00:36 –> 00:00:39] Really embarrassing and it kind of scandalized me.
[00:00:39 –> 00:00:42] And that’s the first rule is when we have distracting
[00:00:42 –> 00:00:45] thoughts in prayer, we can’t be scandalized by it.
[00:00:45 –> 00:00:47] We are human beings.
[00:00:47 –> 00:00:49] You are a human being.
[00:00:49 –> 00:00:51] That means we have distracting thoughts.
[00:00:51 –> 00:00:54] Crazy thoughts come into our mind
[00:00:54 –> 00:00:55] that we never wanted there.
[00:00:55 –> 00:00:57] And guess what?
[00:00:57 –> 00:01:00] Jesus is not scandalized by it.
[00:01:00 –> 00:01:02] Jesus is not stopped by it.
[00:01:02 –> 00:01:03] He knows that about you.
[00:01:03 –> 00:01:04] He loves you.
[00:01:04 –> 00:01:06] And so the first step is we can’t get scandalized
[00:01:06 –> 00:01:08] by those distracting thoughts.
[00:01:08 –> 00:01:10] We just have to turn back to him,
[00:01:10 –> 00:01:11] which leads to the second thing,
[00:01:11 –> 00:01:13] which is you just got to reroute.
[00:01:13 –> 00:01:15] All of us have been on Google Maps,
[00:01:15 –> 00:01:17] going to a place we’ve never been,
[00:01:17 –> 00:01:18] and we take the wrong exit.
[00:01:18 –> 00:01:20] And we’re not scandalized by that.
[00:01:20 –> 00:01:23] Google Maps is saying, “Okay, yeah, we took a wrong turn.
[00:01:23 –> 00:01:26] Time to reroute and we’ll get to where we need to go.”
[00:01:26 –> 00:01:27] When we are distracted in our prayer,
[00:01:27 –> 00:01:30] when we realize that we’re being distracted,
[00:01:30 –> 00:01:31] we just reroute.
[00:01:31 –> 00:01:33] Turn back to the heart of Jesus.
[00:01:33 –> 00:01:34] Say your favorite prayer.
[00:01:34 –> 00:01:37] Just say, “Jesus, thank you for making me a human being.
[00:01:37 –> 00:01:39] Now I’m all yours.”
[00:01:39 –> 00:01:41] The moment that we are scandalized,
[00:01:41 –> 00:01:43] the moment that we are hard on ourself
[00:01:43 –> 00:01:44] or we’re frustrated,
[00:01:44 –> 00:01:47] then that just leads down into a worse rabbit hole.
[00:01:47 –> 00:01:50] So all we got to do, very gently,
[00:01:50 –> 00:01:52] knowing that Jesus is not scandalized by us,
[00:01:52 –> 00:01:54] just got to reroute.
[00:01:54 –> 00:01:55] So that’s the second thing.
[00:01:55 –> 00:01:58] Third thing is, if the distraction comes back,
[00:01:58 –> 00:02:02] sounds like the distraction might be the actual assignment.
[00:02:02 –> 00:02:05] Jesus may want to go there, whether it’s being distracted
[00:02:05 –> 00:02:08] by a relationship that’s been really unhealthy
[00:02:08 –> 00:02:11] or being distracted by a certain person who kind
[00:02:11 –> 00:02:14] of hurt us or distracted by the future.
[00:02:14 –> 00:02:16] Sometimes Jesus wants to go there
[00:02:16 –> 00:02:18] and he wants to heal our hearts
[00:02:18 –> 00:02:21] and he wants to redeem what is there.
[00:02:21 –> 00:02:24] How amazing is it that Jesus can actually use
[00:02:24 –> 00:02:27] those distracted thoughts to heal you?
[00:02:27 –> 00:02:28] Jesus is so, so good like that.
[00:02:28 –> 00:02:31] And there have been so many times where in my prayer,
[00:02:31 –> 00:02:35] I’ve been distracted by a stupid thing that I said
[00:02:35 –> 00:02:38] or a time when I was hurt or a time when,
[00:02:38 –> 00:02:40] yeah, I was really embarrassed
[00:02:40 –> 00:02:41] with something that I did.
[00:02:41 –> 00:02:43] Jesus healed those things.
[00:02:43 –> 00:02:45] He wanted to redeem those things.
[00:02:45 –> 00:02:49] He wanted to just be with me in those things.
[00:02:49 –> 00:02:50] What is prayer?
[00:02:50 –> 00:02:53] Prayer is being with Jesus.
[00:02:53 –> 00:02:57] Being in the presence of Jesus, spending time with him.
[00:02:57 –> 00:03:02] So why not go into your distracted thoughts with him?
[00:03:02 –> 00:03:05] So first thing, don’t be scandalized by yourself
[00:03:05 –> 00:03:06] because Jesus isn’t.
[00:03:06 –> 00:03:08] Second thing, all you got to do when you notice
[00:03:08 –> 00:03:10] that you’re distracted, reroute.
[00:03:10 –> 00:03:13] And then third thing is maybe the distraction,
[00:03:13 –> 00:03:16] if it comes back, might be the actual assignment.
[00:03:16 –> 00:03:19] And if you get distracted in your prayer, praise God,
[00:03:19 –> 00:03:22] you are in the company of so many awesome saints.
[00:03:22 –> 00:03:25] St. John Cassian, St. Teresa of Avila,
[00:03:25 –> 00:03:28] St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis de Sales,
[00:03:28 –> 00:03:31] amazing saints who were, yeah, they got distracted
[00:03:31 –> 00:03:34] and they learned how to have divine intimacy
[00:03:34 –> 00:03:35] in their distractions.
[00:03:35 –> 00:03:36] So good.
[00:03:36 –> 00:03:37] I guess just a word of encouragement.
[00:03:37 –> 00:03:40] In my prayer, I very much see myself
[00:03:40 –> 00:03:43] as like a little puppy on a leash.
[00:03:43 –> 00:03:46] Jesus, the Father, they’re holding the leash
[00:03:46 –> 00:03:48] and I’m just like wandering to the little flower,
[00:03:48 –> 00:03:52] sniffing it, wandering to a part of the sidewalk
[00:03:52 –> 00:03:54] and sniffing that and like being so curious
[00:03:54 –> 00:03:55] and moving all over the place.
[00:03:55 –> 00:03:58] And it’s the Father and it’s Jesus
[00:03:58 –> 00:04:02] who gently guide me back to where they want me to go
[00:04:02 –> 00:04:04] in gentleness and in love.
[00:04:04 –> 00:04:06] Jesus never accuses.
[00:04:06 –> 00:04:07] He never makes things urgent.
[00:04:07 –> 00:04:08] He just wants to be with you.
[00:04:08 –> 00:04:10] So I hope those three tips
[00:04:10 –> 00:04:12] help you to realize that, yeah,
[00:04:12 –> 00:04:14] Jesus just wants to be with you.
[00:04:14 –> 00:04:16] It’s okay if you get distracted.
[00:04:16 –> 00:04:17] Keep turning back to him.
[00:04:17 –> 00:04:19] Love you, praying for you.
[00:04:19 –> 00:04:21] This is Spirit Juice, peace.
[00:04:21 –> 00:04:22] You know those questions
[00:04:22 –> 00:04:26] that are tricky questions about the faith
[00:04:26 –> 00:04:27] that really stir the pot.
[00:04:27 –> 00:04:29] I want those.
[00:04:29 –> 00:04:33] Send it to [email protected]
[00:04:33 –> 00:04:35] and you might be featured on the next episode.
[00:04:35 –> 00:04:38] Spirit Juice, God answers, peace.
Key Takeaways
- Distracting thoughts in prayer are normal because we are human beings, and the mind wanders easily.
- Distractions are not “to blame,” but they must be fought with a steady, calm vigilance.
- When you notice a distraction, you can gently “reroute” back to Jesus without panic or self-accusation.
- Being harsh with yourself often makes prayer more anxious; the goal is not frantic performance but quiet return to God.
- If a distraction is wilfully embraced (deliberately surrendered), it damages prayer; but if you try to keep distractions away, God rewards your good intentions and efforts.
- Sometimes what keeps interrupting prayer reveals where your heart is most tender, where love, fear, or wounds are at work, so Jesus may want to meet you there.
- Many saints struggled with distractions and still grew in deep intimacy with God; for example, St. Teresa of Avila famously described the wandering imagination during prayer as the “madwoman in the house,” something to be put “in a cage” with attention
What This Means for Prayer and Daily Life
If you get distracted in prayer, do not immediately assume you are failing.
Start here: “Jesus, I got distracted again. Thank You for loving me anyway. I turn back to You.”
That simple return is prayer. Catholic teaching makes room for this: distractions you don’t “wilfully” embrace do not automatically rob prayer of merit, especially when you are trying to keep them away and returning with goodwill.
This episode reminds us that Catholic prayer distractions are not stronger than Jesus. They are not proof that you are bad at prayer. They are part of being human, and the Lord already knows how your mind works and still calls you to pray.
The key is to respond gently but realistically. When you notice you have wandered, reroute. Come back to Jesus with a short prayer, a Scripture phrase, the Rosary, the name of Jesus, or even the words Fr. Tim suggests: “Jesus, thank You for making me a human being. Now I’m all Yours.”
But also pay attention. If the same distraction keeps returning, bring it into the light. Don’t just wrestle it in the dark. Ask: what does this thought reveal about my fears or attachments? Where might Jesus want to purify my love? The tradition observes that thoughts often reveal what the heart loves, so bringing that pattern to God can open the way to healing.
In daily life, this makes prayer less about perfect focus and more about relationship. Like a child, we let the Father gently guide us back. Again and again, with vigilance, without panic.
Jesus is not accusing you. He is calling you to return.
FAQ Section
Distractions are not automatically sinful. Catholic teaching distinguishes between distractions that are not wilfully chosen (especially when you try to keep them away) and those you deliberately embrace.
- If you try to keep distractions away, God rewards your intentions and efforts, and your prayer is not deprived of all merit.
- If the distraction is wilful, prayer is “of no avail.”
When you notice a distraction, gently reroute back to Jesus without shame or frustration. In vocal prayer, you can physically and mentally return to the words you lost and repeat them until you can follow them more steadily. You can also say a simple prayer like, “Jesus, thank You for making me a human being. Now I’m all Yours.”
You may keep getting distracted because your mind is tired, anxious, busy, or carrying something that needs attention. Pope Francis notes that the mind naturally wanders, and the struggle for concentration is real, not only in prayer but in study and work too. That does not mean prayer is impossible. It means you practice vigilance.
To focus in prayer, don’t try to force perfect attention. Instead, when you notice you’ve drifted, calmly return to God. The spiritual tradition warns against anxiety and disquietude; quiet return is often the safest path.
If the same distraction keeps coming back, bring it to Jesus instead of only pushing it away. The tradition teaches that what holds your attention often shows what your heart loves, so repeated distractions can be a doorway for Jesus to heal and reorder your attachments.
Yes. Saints and spiritual writers openly describe this struggle. St. Teresa of Avila described the wandering imagination in prayer as the “madwoman in the house,” and taught that it must be stopped and “put in a cage” with attention. The Imitation of Christ also gives a candid prayerful confession about being “continually distracted.”
Don’t be harsh with yourself. Shame and anxiety can make prayer harder, and Catholic spirituality recommends keeping a calm, rested spirit rather than disquietude. Remember: God calls you to return, not to collapse under blame. When you come back, you are praying
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