5 Simple Prayers for the Days You Can’t Think Straight
There have been numerous times in my life when I have been too stressed to concentrate. This, in turn, inhibits my ability to pray. My mind quickly races to all the anxiety of the day that awaits me. Instead of being able to take time and rest at the feet of Jesus, I am too worried about the day to even turn to Him. Maybe you are also finding yourself in this position.
Rather than turning to Jesus with your stressors, they are consuming you. This is all too common for us in the modern day. Due to instant communication and instant information, we are being drowned by stressors, anxieties, and fears. Each of these things draws us away from Jesus. This is why we need to reset our hearts and ensure they are focused on the Lord.
By taking time away from the stressors of life, we can be recharged by the love of the Lord. As Christians, we need time with the Lord each day. If we are not going to Him in prayer, we are not acknowledging our dependence on Him or finding comfort in Him. We need to take time today to slow down and simply sit at the feet of Jesus.
Even though things might feel overwhelming right now, we need to pause and reflect. The Bible tells us, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). As this passage tells us, we need to be still—the Lord is already fighting for us. Allow the Lord’s goodness to calm your heart today.
When the stressors return, go to the Lord in prayer. We don’t need to run away from God when we are struggling. Instead, we need to run toward Him and acknowledge our dependence on Him. We can do this by going to Him in prayer and asking for His help. God is faithful, and He will help us with our stressed and worried hearts.
1. A Prayer to Know God’s Goodness
When we are too stressed, we need to reflect on God’s goodness. By doing so, stress will take a bad seat in our minds. God is good, and we can trust Him with any situation we are facing. What is causing your heart to be stressed today? Is it a financial concern, a new diagnosis, or friend problems? Bring it all before the feet of God.
The Bible tells us we can cast our anxieties onto God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We need to give all of our worries and stressors over to Him. He will give us lasting peace and solace. Without fail, God has always been there for us, and He will provide us with hope for the future.
God’s goodness has been revealed to us in many ways. Through beautiful flowers, sunshine, and the smile of a loved one, we can see God’s goodness. Every good thing in our lives comes from God (James 1:17). Think about all of the wonderful things God has blessed you with and focus on these things when you are stressed. It will help bring your mind back to reality rather than getting lost in the downward spiral of stress.
“Dear God, help me to know your goodness. I want to redirect my focus to You instead of my stressors. Please bring my heart and mind back to You whenever I am too stressed to concentrate. Align my heart with Your goodness. Amen.”
2. A Prayer to Focus on God
Stressors cause us to not concentrate on God. We are so worried about our problems that we are overlooking God. Instead of continuing to do this, we can start making the intentional decision to focus on God. By redirecting our focus to God, we will be able to concentrate on our prayers rather than our fears.
God sees our stressed hearts, and He desires to give us comfort. Concentration is required for prayer, or we will end up losing focus and ending our prayer before it is truly finished. There needs to be an end to losing concentration because of stressors in our lives. The first step to doing this is to go to God in prayer. We can ask Him to help us focus on Him instead of our worries.
By doing this, we are acknowledging our dependence on Him. Focusing on God will prove to be fruitful because the more we focus on Him, the less we will focus on our stressors. Even though stress will get the best of us at times, we can always turn to God. He will equip us with the strength and comfort we need.
“Dear God, I am so stressed that I cannot concentrate on You. Please help me to focus on You. Whenever my mind is drifting, help me to think of You. I want to fully stay focused on You and tell You all of my prayers. Help me to do this today. In Your Son’s Name, I pray, Amen.”
3. A Prayer for Inner Peace
We cannot concentrate unless we have a heart of inner peace. Inner peace gives us everything we need to focus on prayer. When we are lacking in peace, we need to turn to the Lord for help. Jesus has already given us peace (John 14:27); however, sometimes we have to directly ask Him for this peace in prayer due to our overwhelming stressors and worries.
Rather than trying to resolve the issue on our own, we need to rely on the Lord. He will bless us with peace and enable us to focus on Him. The Lord never wants us to be unfocused or too stressed to come to Him in prayer. He wants us to have a clear mind and inner peace so that we can sit before Him and present our prayers to Him.
“Dear Jesus, I am lacking inner peace in my life. Due to all the stressors, I cannot concentrate on You. Please bless me with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. I need Your peace as I cannot focus on my own. Thank You, Lord. Amen.”
4. A Prayer for a Level Head
It can be hard to keep our cool after being stressed. Instead of being calm, cool, and collected, we tend to be angry, short-tempered, and irritable. If we are feeling this way, we most definitely are not going to be turning to the Lord in prayer. We will be fuming over our stressors and doing the exact opposite of what Jesus wants us to do.
When we feel our hearts growing angry and irritable, we need to give the matter over to Him. Through prayer and petition, we can ask the Lord to give us a level head. We do not want to lash out at the Lord, nor do we want to be angry with those around us. Cultivating self-control will help, which can only be done by going to the Lord in prayer and asking for the blessing of a level head in stressful circumstances.
“Dear Jesus, when I'm overcome with stress, I become a very hot-headed person. I'm irritable and angry at everyone. I don't want to do this anymore as I know it does not glorify You nor does it help me to focus on You. Please bless me with self-control and help me to have a level head in every stressful situation, as well as in the aftermath of the stressful event. I praise You, Lord. Amen.”
5. A Prayer for Growth
Being too stressed to concentrate on prayer will inhibit our growth as Christians. This is exactly what the devil wants for our lives. Instead of growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, he wants us to be ineffective for the Kingdom. This is why we must pray for growth in our Christian walk when we are too stressed to concentrate.
By putting on the full armor of God, we can take our stand against the devil (Ephesians 6:10-18). No longer do we need to fall prey to the tricks of the devil. Through going to the Lord in prayer, we can be provided protection and growth as Christians. This will ensure that the devil will not succeed in his plans to make us fall.
“Dear Jesus, I need growth in my life. I fear the devil is trying to make me unproductive. Due to not being able to concentrate, I am not turning to You in prayer or reading the Bible. Help me to concentrate on You in order to grow in my walk with You. Please also protect me from the attacks of the devil. I trust You, Lord. Amen.”
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Originally published June 20, 2025.
