Is the Power of Your Prayers Lost or Diminished if Your Mind Wanders While Praying?

The more fully we give attention to prayer, the more we are praying. But it is good to remember that praying lies in the will. The will to pray is a prayer in itself. Certainly it is wrong to deliberately encourage distractions while at prayer. But unwanted distractions do not take away the value of prayer. Mother Teresa’s sisters pray the rosary as they walk down busy city streets. They are certainly distracted by the need to navigate, but a part of them is still in prayer.