Lately, my attention has been pulled in a bunch of different directions: work, launching a new consultancy, family, even the joy of my hobbies. It’s the texture of a full life, but in the middle of it all, prayer has quietly slipped into the background. Some days, it doesn’t even cross my mind. If you’ve ever found yourself in that same place, here are a few practices that help me re-enter prayer when it feels hard or elusive. Maybe they’ll help you too.
Short, Simple Prayers
Prayer doesn’t have to be long or polished. Whispering “Lord, have mercy,” or “Be near to me” as you go about your day is prayer. Sometimes breath prayers—one line you repeat while inhaling and exhaling—help anchor you. My personal fave is “Father have mercy, Christ have mercy, Spirit have mercy.”
Body Cues
If stillness is hard, link prayer to something physical:
- Lighting a candle.
- Holding a mug of coffee and saying thank you.
- Taking a short walk and imagining God walking beside you.
Scripture as a Starting Place
Open the Psalms and let a verse guide you. Even reading one line and sitting with it can be prayer: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1). I also like guided prayer apps like Daily Prayer.
Write Your Prayers
If your mind wanders like mine does, writing helps focus. Jot down a few sentences to God, even if they’re messy. (Sometimes our truest prayers look more like journal entries than polished words.)
Release the Pressure
God isn’t measuring our eloquence or our focus. Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Spirit prays on our behalf when we don’t have the words.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Even our distractions can become prayer if you bring them honestly to God.
Rowdy and Redeemed 