Five Distraction Busters

We all know the importance of connecting with the Jesus every day. How many times has your quiet time been interrupted or aborted by distractions?

Don’t beat yourself up over it. A wandering mind is normal and natural. Today I offer you five strategies to refocus your heart and mind on the Lord.

1)    Sing to the Lord with passion. Have several worship songs selected in advance. Songs that exalt God’s beauty and glory. When you discover your mind has wandered, play one song and bless Him with your praise.

2)    Keep your Bible open to a passage of scripture that glorifies God. The Psalms are great for this. When you need to get back on track with the Lord, read another verse. Let that verse lead you into praise of His goodness and His greatness.

3)    Leave your “to do list” handy. When you are distracted by things you need to remember, simply add it to the list. Maybe you want to pray over the list. Then your mind will be free to refocus on hosting God’s presence.

4)    Journaling with God leaves no space for distractions. In your spiritual journal, tell God what is on your heart. Then ask God a specific question. A couple of examples might be:

a.     Lord, You have highlighted this verse, what should I be learning here?

b.     Jesus, here is my situation, what is the loving response?

After you have asked God your question, note down your thoughts and feelings. Then ask God if they are His answer to your question.

You will be so busy writing and listening for God that distractions will have a tough time breaking into the conversation.

5)    The fifth strategy of refocusing your heart and mind on Jesus is visualization. Use your divine imagination to breathe in the glory of God and breathe out darkness. Focus on Jesus who is the light of the world and imagine His light filling you up. Take a deep breath and imagine His light filling your mind and chasing out all the darkness. Breathe again and imagine His light filling your ears and blocking all the lies of the enemy. Inhale again and imagine His light filling your throat and mouth so that you speak only encouraging words. And so on.

As you breathe out, imagine you are exhaling anxiety, frustration and fear. Inhale love and joy and all the other attributes of the Holy Spirit and breathe out negativity. Continue focusing and breathing until you feel His peace.

These are my 5 strategies for beating the distractions and spending quality time in God’s presence. What are yours? I would love to hear them.