Focus on Jesus, Not the Storm: 7 Tools to Help You

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When my son was three, he went through a “no” phase. If I asked him to play blocks with me, he said no. If I asked him to go on a walk, he said no.

Left to his own desires, he would wander the house making messes and noises. Although he said no to my suggestions, he wasn’t happy with his unstructured freedom either.

I learned to take a stronger approach. Instead of asking, I insisted.

Rather than ask if he wanted to read books with me on the couch, I told him it was book time. He resisted at first, but he would eventually give in. Within minutes, he’d be completely engaged in the book, asking questions, pointing at pictures, and laughing.

He thought he would be happy flitting from one thing to the next, but he needed my help to focus his attention on one toy, one book, or one activity.

Without self-discipline, my life would look a lot like his did as a toddler. I struggle to focus on the things I know are best for me. It’s a challenge on an ordinary Tuesday and can feel impossible in the midst of one of life’s storms. Maybe you can relate.

We may want to focus on our relationship with God, but our environments are often set up to distract us from him rather than encourage us to set our thoughts on him.

We can change that! Here are seven tools to help you focus on Jesus and not the storm that threatens to overwhelm you.

1. The Bible

Filling our minds with Scripture is the best way to center our days on God.

I know some people take an all-or-nothing approach to the Bible (I definitely wouldn’t be talking about myself here, *cough*).

In the past, if an uninterrupted thirty minutes of reading didn’t happen first thing in the morning, it didn’t happen at all.

Now, I’ve learned to take in a steady diet of Scripture whenever and however I can. Sometimes it’s in big chunks while my kids nap. Other times, I flick open the Bible app to read the verse of the day. We can get creative with how we put God’s word in front of our eyes.

Last Christmas, my husband bought me the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. The prospect of reading new-to-me historical and cultural notes has provided extra motivation to dig into the Old Testament this year.

If you’re lacking motivation, find methods that work for you and your brain (for example, a habits tracker or an accountability partner) until the discipline becomes a delight that you can’t imagine skipping.

2. Christian Podcasts

Podcasts allow me to learn something new, soak in a story, or become aware of God’s presence while I’m driving or folding laundry. Life’s tasks fill our schedules but with a God-centered podcast, we can prioritize his presence by focusing our ears and minds on truth. Here are a few of my favorites:

Check out this post for more about crafting your personal podcast playlist.

3. A Journaling Practice

A relationship with Jesus is a two-way conversation. Sometimes we find it easier to pray and express our hearts than to focus on the Bible and hear him speaking to us. At other times, reading his word feels doable, but the work of unfurling our fears, desires, and concerns in prayer is like pulling apart a complicated knot.

The practice of journaling helps me process events, thoughts, and feelings. It’s a gentle method that allows me to vulnerably open my heart to Jesus. Sometimes I write directly to him, and other times I write whatever comes to mind but with a prayerful posture that invites God into the unpacking process.

I almost always walk away from these times of journaling feeling more connected to Christ because I’ve obeyed his command to present my requests before him (Philippians 4:6).

You can learn more about cultivating a prayerful journaling practice, and then be sure to download this free Journaling Toolkit to get started.

4. Silence

Practicing silence is particularly difficult for me when I’m in the midst of one of life’s storms. I’m tempted to numb myself from whatever hardship I’m facing. My go-to is slipping into someone else’s imaginary life through a novel or Netflix series.

When you’re in the car, do you immediately turn on music? During those in-between moments when you’re brushing your teeth or sitting in a waiting room do you distract your brain with news, noise, or notifications?

Sometimes we can drown out the nudgings of the Holy Spirit when we don’t sit still to listen.

God offers us his comfort. He does. But we can’t receive it if we’re constantly choosing to put static between us and him.

Find a time of day when you can listen to blissful silence. Know that you’re not alone in it, but God is there with you offering the comfort of his presence.

God offers us his comfort. He does. But we can’t receive it if we’re constantly choosing to put static between us and him. Click To Tweet

5. Books of Prayers

Some days, I can’t summon the words. I don’t know what to say to God. In those moments, I’m thankful for those who have gone before me and poured out their hearts on paper.

We can repeat the prayers of others verbatim or use them as a launching point, modifying them in ways that apply to our unique lives and circumstances.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by praying Scripture back to God. Jenn Soehnnlin over at Embracing Life has lots of resources on getting started with praying Scripture.

I also find the poetry of the psalms so relatable to our modern-day lives. Praying the psalms settles Scripture into my soul while giving voice to the pains or praise that I may struggle to name on my own.

Here are a few favorite books of prayer:

Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds by Beth Moore
Prayers for Writers: A Handbook of Praying for Your Writing Life by Capital Christian Writers Fellowship

6. Memorization

To focus on Jesus throughout our days, we need his word stashed in our brains.

Consider how many times you’ve found yourself humming a tune you heard hours earlier or how a memorable line from a movie can become part of your speech.

The words we take in don’t just play a role in our conscious minds. They affect our unconscious selves by influencing our emotions, attitudes, and motivations.

As a kid, I would study on Sunday mornings. I knew my Sunday school teacher would ask me to recite the memory verse as I walked through the door. I’d learn it, but in a week (or within hours), it’d be forgotten.

Scripture memorization can seem futile when we feel like we’re losing as much Scripture as we’re gaining.

That’s why I started using a review method as a teenager, and I still use it today with my own children.

I first learned the method in the book Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen. Appendix Two is titled “Painless Scripture Memory,” and it includes a system for reviewing and remembering all the Scriptures you’ve memorized in the past.

I found a video that shows the method. Setting up the system takes a bit of effort initially, but the payoff of knowing and meditating on Scripture is worth it!

7. Prayer Reminders

Have you ever told someone you’d pray for her, and then forgotten all about her concern until the next time you saw her? Let technology help you.

Set phone reminders on a specific day, at a specific time, when you can stop and pray for your friend, grandma, preacher, country, etc.

Even if you’re busy, the notification will remind you to pause and lift up a word of prayer for that person or concern. It can take seconds or minutes, but interceding for others can bring peace to our hearts as we see God working in and through the lives of those around you.

Wrapping Up

Don’t feel like you have to incorporate all of these tools into your life at once. Pick one and see how it feels to focus your attention on Jesus more frequently throughout your day.

Distractions and the storms of life will always swirl around us trying to capture our attention. Begin implementing these tools today to refocus your attention on Christ.