That Time I Zoned Out During Worship

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us.” —Romans 8:26 (NIV)

The lyrics played. People raised their hands. Someone near you coughed dramatically.

And you? You were suddenly deep in thought about whether you thawed the chicken.

Or whether those jeans in the dryer shrank or if you grew.

Or what on earth that one text really meant.

You zoned out.

But zoning out isn’t shutting God out.

Turns out, He’s not threatened by your brain’s side quests. Romans 8:26 reminds us that:

“the Spirit helps us in our weakness… interceding for us with groans too deep for words.”

Yes—even when your “groans” sound suspiciously like, “Did I leave the garage open?”

And 1 Samuel 16:7 gives us this gentle reminder:

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart.” (NIV)

So while you were wondering whether the oven was still on, God was still tuned in to your spirit. And let’s be honest: Jesus isn’t impressed by your “perfect church face” anyway. He already called out the Pharisees for putting on a show—so you can drop the act.

He’s not here for the performance. He’s here for the real you—the distracted, deeply human, still-loved version.

Your worship doesn’t have to be laser-focused or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes the most authentic kind of praise is just showing up—messy hair, mid-song mental tangents, and all.

If you zoned out a little during that third bridge, don’t panic. The Spirit didn’t. He’s still interceding. Still there. Still delighted to be with you—even in the mental drift.

Breath Prayer:

Even when I’m distracted, You still delight in me. Thanks for liking me, Jesus, even when I forget the bridge lyrics.