---

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me focus on one thing, like homework or praying, by putting away everything that would distract me from it! Amen.

Jesus went into the desert for 40 days with no food. The devil came and said, "If you're God, turn the rocks into bread." Jesus said, "Bread isn't all that keeps you alive. God does, too." The devil took Jesus to the top of a building and said, "Jump. If you're God, angels will catch you." "Don't test God," Jesus answered. The devil showed Jesus the world and said, "I'll give you this if you worship me." "Worship only God," Jesus answered. "Go away!" So the devil left Jesus alone.

What helps you focus? To get homework done, lots of kids have to turn off music, put away their phones and sit in the quietest place they can find. Otherwise, there are too many distractions to concentrate.

The same goes for praying: It's hard to really talk to God about what's going on in your life if you're doing 10 other things at the same time! When you can concentrate on thanking God for good things, asking for help with problems and remembering people who need prayers, you're a lot more likely to feel better after you pray.

Jesus took that to an extreme. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 4:111), He needed to get ready to start traveling around to teach people about God. That was a big job, so He wanted to spend time praying before He jumped into it. He went into the desert, alone and bringing nothing, so He could focus only on God and what His Father wanted Him to do.

Putting aside distractions like your phone or music can help you feel calmer when doing homework. You're not stressed by having your brain try to process singing, texting and studying all at once!

Jesus got a lot done in the desert, too. In fact, He was so calm that, when the devil appeared and tried to distract Him, He could just say, "I'm focused on God right now. Go away." Jesus was a master at getting rid of distractions![[In-content Ad]]

---