Tips for Staying Focused in Prayer

The best tips for staying focused in prayer involve the basic who and what questions, Fr. Josh Johnson says.

St. Theresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church, said that whenever we pray, if it is to be authentic, we need to know who we are talking to and what we are talking about.

This is why the Church gives us traditional vocal prayers, to help us focus on the who and what of our prayer so that it’s not all in our heads. Prayer in silence can be more difficult, because it’s easier for your mind to drift when your prayers are not vocal.

However, praying out loud can also be distracting to others, so be considerate if you are praying out loud and there are others around you trying to pray.

In such situations, keep in mind that prayer can also be written down. Bring a prayer journal with you to prayer. By writing it down, we can see the words addressing who we are talking to and what we are talking about.

Be sure to check out Fr. Josh’s book, Pocket Guide to Adoration ( for more great tips on prayer.

More about Adoration from Fr. Josh:

What Do We Do in Adoration? (
Make Time for Adoration (
Live with Fr. Josh Johnson: All about Adoration [podcast] (

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