7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth -

Oh, man, there are so many different types of spiritual distractions that can hinder us from growing spiritually. And if we want to hear from God and grow our relationship with the Father, we must learn to fight to overcome spiritual distractions.

And the challenging part is just about anything can be a distraction.

Lately, I’ve been finding a lot of great online Christian influencers that are doing good work spreading the gospel and encouraging other Christians in their faith walks.

However, I had a realization…

I noticed myself start to rely on these social influencers to fuel my spirit. I was starting to tune in to my favorite channels and accounts for a word from God. Yikes!

Can you relate?

Screen Addition Distracting Us from God

I absolutely love how the virtual world is allowing Christians to reach across geographical barriers and spread the truth to people who may not have been reached. So much good comes from this. We get to build large communities not limited by our proximity and touch more people with the good news of the gospel.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27 (ESV)

However, as you’ve probably experienced, the internet can be addicting. And even if we’re spending hours devouring Christian content online, that can still be a distraction keeping us from developing our relationships with the Father.

If we’re not careful, we can begin to rely on these digital platforms and online influencers to feed our spirits. We can start to become lazy Christians, seeking a prophetic word from our favorite influencers instead of seeking God for a word for ourselves.

I have a handful of Christian influencers that I follow regularly because I can tell God is with them. What they teach lines up with the Bible, and they are encouraging and truthful.

But if I’m honest, I personally had to take a step back and take a break from tuning in. I could feel myself start to get too comfortable with depending on their words as gospel.

And this goes for any online experience that sucks you in for hours each week. These simple, fun, and entertaining virtual experiences can quickly turn into countless lost hours that could have been dedicated to relationship building with God.

It’s okay to enjoy some screen time. But be honest with yourself. Are you spending more time staring at a screen than conversing with God?

Spiritual Distractions are Everywhere!

We must be careful not to let anyone or anything replace the word of God in our lives. Not Christian social influencers, friends, family, or pastors.

We all have a direct line to God. Each of us can read the Bible for ourselves, and each of us can receive a word from God without the need for anyone else to intercede.

Additionally, we must be careful not to let anyone or anything distract us from God by turning our attention away from Him.

Spiritual distractions are anything that takes our focus away from God. These distractions are dangerous and can keep us from hearing from God clearly.

We can start to have so many different opinions running through our heads that we can’t decipher which voice is from the Lord.

Distractions can be anything from material possessions, political parties, and celebrities to activities that we enjoy and relationships that we have. You name it, it can become a spiritual distraction, a hindrance, and even an idol.

Distracting us from God and our God-given purpose is exactly what the enemy wants. Because when God is no longer the focus of our lives, we become more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.

7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth

Setting boundaries and priorities are key to making sure life’s little enjoyments don’t become spiritual distractions and hindrances.

However, if you’re struggling to set those boundaries and to organize those priorities, below are 7 specific things you can do to help drown out the spiritual distractions in your life before they become a hindrance.

1.Take a break from social.

Take a break from social media! I strongly encourage anyone to give this a try. Social media is probably the number one reason for internet addiction. And with so many different social platforms to follow, you can easily find yourself locked to your phone for hours, hopping from account to account, soaking in fruitless content.

So, take a break from all the noise of social media and fill that time with God.

If you’re up for a challenge, I created a 3, 5, and 7 day “Take a Break” challenge that you can try. Click below and subscribe to receive your free PDF and start your break today.

2. Take a break from TV/media.

Much like social media, it can be easy to plop down on the couch and glue ourselves to our TV screens. And even watching the news in an effort to stay informed can be a distraction. TV stations have agendas and push narratives, just like any other money-making industry. So we have to be careful here.

So, I challenge you to take a break from any form of media, even if it’s just for 24 hours. Allow the silence to clear your mind, emptying out the many voices and images that TV throws at you, making room to hear from God.

3. Take a break from opinionated (especially negative) people.

This can be a tough one. But if you are able to, take a break from those individuals in your life who are just overly opinionated, especially if they tend to be negative. Sometimes those individuals, no matter their intentions, can put us in a negative space and get us grumbling and complaining. And without realizing it, we can start to take on their perspective instead of going to God about a situation.

And no, you don’t have to tell them you’re taking a break from them. You’re not trying to destroy the relationship. But maybe just skip that usual phone call you have, or miss out on a lunch date, or tell them you’re going to be spending time with family for a few days.

Do what you need to do to stay in alignment with God.

4. Stay heavy in prayer. Pray more than you usually do.

This goes without saying, but stay in prayer. If you’re feeling distracted and disconnected from God, pray constantly. Speak to Him, cast your worries and anxieties at His feet. Ask for Him to remove every distraction and hindrance in your life that is keeping you from advancing in your walk with Christ. Ask Him to show you which things in your life you need to shed and leave behind in order to move forward.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

5. Stay consistent in the Bible.

How can you hear from God regularly if you don’t know His word? We have to stay diligent in reading our Bibles. Allow His living Word to feed your spirit, and use the scriptures to pray over your circumstances.

The next time you notice yourself gravitating to one of your distractions, grab the Bible instead.

6. Get outside and be in God’s nature.

I think most people would agree that there is something calming and peaceful about nature that you just don’t get when stuck inside a building. Nature is God’s direct handiwork, untainted by the hands of man. And I personally feel more connected with Him when I can be outside in it.

You could take a walk, sit on your porch or deck. My favorite thing to do is look up at the stars and moon at night. It just puts things into perspective, reinforces my respect for God, and puts me in awe of Him. It’s easy to clear my mind of distractions and focus on Him when I’m surrounded by nothing but His work.

7. Take some time off work.

Sometimes distractions come from people at your job or your job itself. The last full-time job I held before becoming a stay-at-home-mom was extremely stressful.

I would come home from a long day with no energy, zero drive, and loads of anxiety. That was a huge spiritual distraction for me because I would be too anxious and mentally distracted to truly focus on God.

So I suggest taking some time off work if this is your situation, and use that time to really lean into the Father.

In Conclusion

Those are my 7 recommendations for removing distractions that are hindering you from growing spiritually and hearing the voice of God. I truly hope you found this list helpful.

What things do you do to silence the distractions?