Prayer Attention Deficit Disorder

Have you ever start praying and suddenly find yourself making a to-do list for tomorrow, mentally replying to emails, or reliving an awkward conversation from yesterday?

If this sounds familiar, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Many faithful believers wrestle with what I call “PADD”—Prayer Attention Deficit Disorder. I want to focus on God, but my mind wanders and I get frustrated, even to the point of not praying.

But here’s good news: God is not surprised by our distractions or scattered thoughts—He already knows them! He doesn’t turn away in frustration. Instead, He meets us where we are, and if we allow it, He gently calls us back into His presence with grace.

I have realized and accepted that I am not a “pray for the long haul, until I’ve covered everything that I need to” type of person. While I sometimes envy those who can pray for an hour, or half an hour, or even 15 minutes, I am not one of those people. Focusing for one minute is sometimes a stretch for me.

God didn’t give us prayer as a burden—He gave us prayer as a lifeline! Let’s look at some models from Scripture.

Jesus knew that we’d need help, and He modeled a structure for prayer in Matthew and in Luke in what we now call The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6:9–13)

How many times have we repeated the Lord’s Prayer without thinking about what it means? Here’s the underlying structure of the prayer that can help model our prayers.   

• “Our Father in heaven…” Reflect on who God is and call Him by name: Father, Provider, Shepherd, Lord.
• “Your kingdom come…” Surrender your plans and your worries to His will.
• “Give us this day…” State your requests. Be specific: Be with me as I travel. Help my son find a job. Heal my friend as she goes through a divorce.
• “Forgive us…” Confess your sins and ask God to clear the slate
• “Lead us not…” Ask for protection, wisdom, patience.

Here’s another prayer framework knows as the ACTS model:

• Adoration—Praise God for who He is.
• Confession—Acknowledge sins and ask for forgiveness.
• Thanksgiving—Thank Him for blessings, big and small.
• Supplication—Present your needs and intercede for others.     

I want to start every morning with a prayer that covers EVERYTHING. But I can’t manage it. What I can manage is to offer short prayers throughout the day, and that’s freeing for me. God doesn’t want fancy. He wants my focus and my sincere heart. And sometimes we forget that short, focused prayers are just as powerful as long ones!

Here are some examples:

• in the morning—“Lord, I’m awake. Thank you for that, and thank you for this day. I give you my day—my activities, my conversations, my family. Help me do Your will today.”
• in the middle of the day—”God, I’m overwhelmed right now. Give me Your peace and help me to take one thing at a time. Help me to allow You to be in control.”
• at the end of the day—”Thank you for this day and for the things that went well. Forgive me where I failed and help me learn from my mistakes. Give me rest tonight.”
• before answering the phone or a text—“Lord, keep my eyes on You today.”
• while driving—“Jesus, thank You for being present with me.”

For me, these short prayers help train my mind to return to God, moment by moment. And I’m released from the pressure and guild of not praying eloquently for an extended period of time.

Are you not convinced yet? There’s scriptural evidence for short focused prayer! Here are some examples:

• Jacob’s prayer for deliverance (Genesis 32:11) “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau.”
• Samson’s last prayer (Judges 16:28) “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more.”
• Peter’s drowning prayer: “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)
• The disciples’ request for faith (Luke 17:5) “Increase our faith!”
• The tax collector’s confession: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)
• The thief on the cross (Luke 23:42) “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
• John’s final prayer (Revelation 22:20) “Come, Lord Jesus.”

All of these examples remind us: God doesn’t need eloquence. He desires engagement. But even with all of the tools, our minds will occasionally stray. God is not annoyed by our wandering minds–He is honored every time we return.

There’s no “perfect” way to pray. There’s only an honest, seeking heart. Whether you pray for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, whether you wander 12 times or stay focused the whole time, whether your prayer is poetic or messy…God hears you. He sees your desire to meet with Him. And that is more than enough.

Keep coming back. Keep showing up.

Your Father is still there. Always.

“…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20