I sat down to pray this morning, and within seconds, my mind was off to the races. One thought led to another, and before I knew it, I wasn’t praying—I was problem-solving, planning, and replaying conversations from days ago. I caught myself, took a deep breath, and tried again. And again. And again.

Are you an overthinker like me? If so, you know how hard it is to quiet your mind long enough to sit with God and hear from God. The moment we try to be still, our thoughts start running wild—past regrets, future worries, unfinished tasks, and everything in between. It feels like trying to focus on a whisper while standing in the middle of a crowded room.

I’m trying to do better. Some days are definitely harder than others, but as I remind myself that small steps of progress is still progress, here’s what I’m learning: God isn’t asking for perfect focus. He’s asking for surrender.

Learning to Release the Noise

If it’s one thing I know about God, it’s He knows me intimately. He knows my mind is noisy. He knows my struggle to stay present. He knows the amount of tabs my brain has open. And yet, He still invites me into His presence. He still wants to be near me. Not because I’ve mastered stillness, but because He loves me and wants to exchange my chaos for His peace. And He wants to do the same for you.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) tells us, “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection and watches over you very carefully].”

What I love about this verse and this particular passage is the word “casting” here isn’t passive—it’s an active, deliberate release. It means we don’t just acknowledge our worries; we throw them upon God, trusting that He is strong enough to carry them. Surrendering anxious thoughts doesn’t mean silencing them by force. It means handing them over—every fear, every what-if, every overanalyzed detail—and trusting that God can hold them better than we can.

But if I’m honest, casting my cares on God is easier said than done. Sometimes, I don’t even realize I’m carrying them until my shoulders feel heavy with the weight of worry. Other times, I try to hand them over, only to find myself clutching them again moments later. Surrender isn’t a one-time action—it’s a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment choice to let go.

Quieting Our Minds to Hear from God

So how do we quiet our minds when they feel like a runaway train? How do we create space to hear God’s voice amid the noise?

1. Find Your Place of Stillness – Psalm 23:2 tells us, “He leads me beside still waters.” God invites us into stillness, not just as a luxury but as a necessity for hearing Him. Just as sheep trust their shepherd to lead them to quiet, refreshing waters, we, too, need to be intentional about finding a space where distractions are minimized. Maybe it’s a quiet room, a morning walk, or even just turning off notifications.
2. Start with Surrender – Before diving into prayer, acknowledge your wandering mind. Simply saying, “Lord, You know my thoughts are scattered. Help me focus on You,” is an act of surrender that invites Him in.
3. Use Scripture as a Reset – When your mind drifts, bring it back with His Word. Meditating on a short verse, like 1 Peter 5:7, can anchor your thoughts when they start to wander.
4. Breathe and Listen – Sometimes, we fill silence with more words, but God also speaks in the quiet. Take deep breaths. Pause. Let stillness be part of your prayer time.
5. Turn Every Thought Into a Conversation – Instead of battling overthinking, bring each thought to Him. If a worry pops up, say, “Lord, I give this to You.” If a to-do list creeps in, ask for wisdom in prioritizing. Make your thoughts part of your prayer instead of seeing them as distractions.

Turning Overthinking Into Prayer

As we learn to quiet our minds and create space for God, we can also shift our perspective—seeing our overthinking not as a barrier to prayer, but as an invitation to bring everything before Him. What if, instead of trying to silence our thoughts, we turned them into prayers?

• Instead of replaying a mistake, we confess it and receive His grace.
• Instead of worrying about the future, we acknowledge our fears and ask for His guidance.
• Instead of spiraling in what-ifs, we remind ourselves that He is already in tomorrow, making a way.

God isn’t waiting for us to come to Him with a clear mind. He just wants us to come.

Finding Peace in the Presence of God

If you, like me, struggle to focus in prayer, know this: You are not failing. You are human. And even in the middle of your mental chaos, God is near. His presence is not dependent on your ability to concentrate—it is anchored in His unchanging love.

So today, I am choosing to surrender my anxious thoughts, one by one. And in their place, I am asking for His peace. Maybe you can, too.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo,