How to Stay Focused on God

Evaluating Your Life

Think about your current relationship with God. Sit down when you have a quiet moment and evaluate the current state of your spiritual life. Be humble and honest with yourself. Ask yourself whether you incorporate your faith into your everyday routine, whether you use your faith to guide your decisions, and whether you feel close to God. Don’t be discouraged if you discover that your spiritual life needs some work. The point of this exercise is simply to figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are right now.

Evaluate what is distracting you from God. Ask yourself which aspects of your life are pulling you farther away from God. External pressures and responsibilities, such as work, school, and relationships, are common distractions. Don’t forget to consider internal distractions as well, like pride or materialism. For instance, if your pride drives you to try to solve all your problems without any help, you might have a hard time turning to God for guidance.

Seek guidance from a trusted person of faith. Whatever your spiritual or religious affiliation, it can help to get advice from a leader. This person can help you identify barriers that are blocking you from deepening your relationship with God. Alternatively, they may also be able to help you see that you are actually doing quite well in your current spiritual practice. Go to a trusted member of your spiritual community and explain your dilemma. Ask them how you can improve your focus on God and your spirituality.

Devise a plan to deepen your faith. Think about how you would like to maintain or improve your relationship with God. Set some spiritual goals for yourself. Think about what you want your relationship with God to look like in a month or a year. Then think about how you can change your habits to make it happen. For instance, if you want to feel closer to God on a day-to-day basis, you could establish the habit of praying for a few minutes every morning. EXPERT TIP Zachary Rainey Zachary Rainey Ordained Minister Rev. Zachary B. Rainey is an ordained minister with over 40 years of ministry and pastoral practice, including over 10 years as a hospice chaplain. He is a graduate of Northpoint Bible College and a member of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Zachary Rainey Zachary Rainey Ordained Minister "If you feel God is important, you will be willing to invest some of your time and resources into knowing Him better," adds Zachary Rainey, ordained minister. "Create a margin in your day to invest in reading and memorizing Scripture, meditating, praying, or journaling. Become part of a community in which you pray and worship with others who share your faith and provide mutual encouragement to focus upon God. Find a place of Christian service as a follower of Jesus Christ."

Making Time for God

Make time for your faith every day. Putting in a little bit of effort on a regular basis can help you stay connected to God all the time. Set aside some time for your spiritual practice every day. Take this time just as seriously as any of your other important appointments. For instance, you could use your lunch hour to read faith-based texts, or you could set aside half an hour for prayer and reflection before bed. You may even go so far as to writing your spiritual practices into your schedule like any other obligation to make sure you stick to them. Many people like to make their spiritual practice part of their morning routine. Spending time with God first thing in the morning can give you a positive foundation for the rest of the day.

Block out distractions. Commit your full attention to your spiritual practice. Go somewhere you won’t be distracted to pray, read, and reflect. Take a deep breath and set aside your worries and distractions while you deepen your relationship with God.

Read your religious texts. Connect with God by reading and thinking about your sacred texts. Mark the passages that resonate with you, and spend extra time reflecting on them. Look for ideas and themes in your sacred texts that you can apply to your own life. Reading books by religious leaders and scholars may also help you deepen your faith and your understanding of God.

Pray. Praying daily is one of the most effective things you can do to get closer to God. Prayer is very personal, and you can pray about anything. Try using your prayer time to ask for guidance and inspiration, to affirm your personal faith, or to pray for your loved ones. You can pray anytime and anywhere. However, it’s still a good idea to set aside a specific time for prayer every day, so you won’t feel rushed or distracted.

Reflect on God. As you observe the world every day, let the things you see guide your thoughts towards God. When you feel moved by something, take a moment to ponder what it tells you about the nature of God and your personal relationship with God. As your faith grows, you might find God reflected in many different aspects of life, including art, the natural world, and other people.

Living Faithfully

Talk with friends and family who share your beliefs. Find other people with whom you can share your spiritual journey. Discuss things like how you incorporate your faith into your everyday life and how you avoid getting distracted by worldly issues. If you don’t know anyone who shares your beliefs, work on making some new friends at your place of worship, or search the internet for likeminded groups of people.

Attend religious services. Keep your beliefs strong by participating in the services and traditions of your faith. Visiting your place of worship regularly will help you stay connected to your spiritual community, as well as to God.

Use your faith to guide your choices. Throughout your life, you’ll be faced with decisions, big and small. Before you make a decision, think carefully about which actions will help you achieve your spiritual goals and live by the tenets of your faith. Whenever you can, make choices that bring you closer to God. Prayer can help you make good choices when you’re faced with difficult decisions.

Find ways to serve your community. Helping other people is a great way to grow in your faith and get closer to God. Look for local volunteer opportunities that reflect the values that are most important to you. You may be able to find volunteer opportunities through your place of worship.

Coping with Issues that Distract Your Focus

Prioritize your faith, but be flexible in your methods. Even if your faith is your top priority in life, you may have to accept that there will be times when you don't have as much time to observe your spiritual practices. When such times occur, be easy on yourself. Try to carve out as much time as you can, but you may have to get creative. For instance, if an overloaded schedule keeps you from attending a worship service, you might listen to a podcast or video while commuting to work. If you generally dedicate an hour in the morning and evening for prayer and worship, you might have to cut these down to half an hour during busy weeks.

Lean on your faith during personal tragedies. Going through a traumatic event such as abuse or the loss of a child may threaten your faith in God. You might ask "Why me?" or wonder why bad things happen to good people. During these times, rather than questioning why things happened a certain way, seek out a deeper connection and understanding with God to help get you through. You might take on a spiritual adviser, receive religious counseling, or study scripture to glean understanding from your situation. Religious and spiritual beliefs tend to help people heal faster, so lean on your faith during such times. You may find that on the other side you become more focused on God than ever before.

Reflect on your faith when you feel unworthy. There may come a time when you make a mistake in life that doesn't align with your spiritual or religious views. You may then become distant from God because you are ashamed. Know that most faiths acknowledge and understand that you are not perfect, and that you never will be. Be willing to forgive yourself so that God can forgive you, too. Seek out guidance from someone in your faith. Explain to them what happened—maybe you were unfaithful in your relationship or you drank alcohol in excess. Then, ask for recommendations on how you can forgive yourself and feel worthy again.

Don't allow others to dictate your beliefs. It can be difficult to follow your spiritual practices when those closest to you oppose them. Others can make you feel ashamed about your faith in God, or they may try to discount the validity of your beliefs. You may have to make a choice between keeping these people in your life, or letting them go. Talk it over with someone you trust before making a decision. If your family members disagree with your beliefs, you might simply avoid discussing your views around them. Or, if they seem open-minded you might try to compassionately share your views. If a friend or coworker opposes your faith, you might choose to end the relationship, especially if their presence in your life is distracting you from your faith.