Defeating Distraction: A Spiritual Practice for Paying Attention

How often do you feel distracted? With a million things on your mind? You might be physically present in one place, but your thoughts are somewhere else, ruminating on a past event or running round and round a future scenario.

My experience is that I am rarely present in the moment. When I’m not thinking about the past or planning for the future, I struggle to “be here now,” as the saying goes. If I’m in my car and the stoplight is red for too long, I’ll reach for my phone. I don’t allow myself to be bored. Conversely, when I’m focused on a task, a notification will pop up on my watch, and my mind will immediately chase that squirrel.

Often, I catch myself not really listening to my children. My son will be telling me a story about something that happened at school, but I’m thinking about the things I need to pick up from the store for dinner. I’m distracted. I’m not present with him, and I’m not present with my life.

Noticing my distracted habits bothers me. It makes me wonder what else I am missing. If I can be so absent with my own children, who are standing right in front of me, how much more am I absent to the presence of God? If God is speaking to me, would I even notice?

Jacob’s Awakening: A Witness in Paying Attention from Scripture

When I think about what it means to pay attention to God's presence, I find myself returning to Jacob's story in Genesis 28. Jacob is traveling to the household of his uncle Laban to find a wife, and he certainly has reasons to be distracted during his trip. He recently stole the birthright from his brother, Esau, and conned a blessing from his father, Issac. His brother is murderously mad, and Jacob is a fugitive from his family. That’s enough to make anyone’s head swim.

On his journey, Jacob falls asleep on the ground in utter exhaustion with nothing but a stone for a pillow. He dreams of a ladder to heaven, with angels coming and going. Then he hears the voice of God, who renews the promise of land and descendants and the blessing that was first made to his grandfather Abraham.

When Jacob wakes up, he realizes, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” (Genesis 28:16). God was present with him all along, but he was too distracted to notice.

How is Jacob’s story like our story? We’re traveling through life at such a rapid pace, maybe running from our circumstances or chasing some goal that we think will make us happy and complete. Our thoughts are constantly churning, from worries and fears to tasks and responsibilities.

What would it look like if we woke up, looked around, and realized that surely God is with us and we don’t know it? How might our lives be different if we were less distracted and fragmented and more attentive to God's presence and invitation?

A Spiritual Practice to Attune to God’s Presence

Awakening to God doesn't have to happen by accident. We can learn to cultivate it. One practice that has helped me become more attentive to God is the breath prayer. Rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition, breath prayer offers a gentle way to slow down and become aware of God’s presence that is already with us.

Breath prayer is beautifully uncomplicated. You allow the rhythm of your breathing to shape your prayer as your inhaling and exhaling becomes your focus. So often, we enter into prayer with words to say, concerns to name, or requests to offer. Breath prayer invites a different posture. Rather than speaking to God, you rest in God. When your mind fills the silence with thoughts, you gently return your attention to the steady rhythm of your breath.

Pairing a short verse of Scripture with your breathing serves to focus breath prayer even more meaningfully. For example, as you inhale, you might pray, "Be still and know..." As you exhale, "...that I am God."

The words you repeat are not meant to be forced or repetitive. They rest on your breath, gently returning your attention to God whenever your mind begins to wander. And your mind will wander! That is human and normal. When you recognize that you’ve become distracted, there is no need for frustration or self-judgment. Simply notice where your attention has gone and gently return to the rhythm of your breath prayer.

Breath prayer slows me down long enough to taste God’s grace with me in the present moment. Breath prayer is not a technique to master or a method to achieve enlightenment. But for someone who frequently feels fragmented and discombobulated because of the pace and distractions of everyday life, breath prayer is a practice that helps me find peace and become more aware of God, who never stops being present.

Learning to Notice God

Over time, I've realized that breath prayer doesn't bring God near. It opens my eyes to God’s grace that is always surrounding me. It reminds me of Jacob's discovery. God did not suddenly arrive while Jacob slept. God was present all along. Jacob woke up to what had always been true.

I hope this can be a realization that happens for you too. In a world full of distractions, may you learn to notice God, who is already here. May you learn to return, again and again, to the quiet assurance that you are not alone.

An added blessing is that when we become more attentive to God's presence, we also become more attentive to the people God has placed before us. We notice a neighbor who needs encouragement, a child who wants to be heard, a coworker carrying an unseen burden. We discover that awakening to God's presence is also awakening to the people God loves.

This week, would you set aside five minutes each day to practice breath prayer? Resist the urge to evaluate whether it "worked." Instead, simply notice. Notice your breath. Notice your surroundings. Notice the thoughts that pull at your attention. And practice returning. Above all, may you notice God, who has been with you all along.

Like Jacob, may we find ourselves awakening to the surprising truth: "Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it."

Reflection and/or Discussion Questions

• When during your day do you find yourself most distracted?
• What might it look like to pause in your distracted moment and become aware of God's presence with you?
• As you consider pairing simple words of prayer with your breathing, what phrase or image feels most natural or meaningful to you?
• If you want to go deeper, consider the following additional resources.
  • Learn more about breath prayer and other contemplative practices through the Attention as Prayer small group study from Realize Grace.
  • Practice breath prayer with a free guided meditation from Realize Grace.
  • Explore other spiritual practices at https://www.upperroom.org/resources/category/spiritual-practice.

Biography

Rev. Estee Valendy is an ordained elder in the Horizon Texas Conference and the founder of Realize Grace, a spiritual formation ministry that creates small-group resources and offers guest preaching to support local churches. Rooted in a deep love for helping people notice the quiet, steady work of God in everyday life, Realize Grace seeks to nurture faith through reflection, presence, and community. Estee is married to Dr. Jason Valendy, senior pastor at Keller United Methodist Church, and together they are raising two sons.