Focus (Full Episode - Archive)Focus (Full Episode - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about distraction, mental health and spiritual disciplines, linking focus and meditative prayer to addiction recovery. They offer practical reflection tools to help create space between urges and actions, encouraging a slower, more attentive walk with God.
33:19•18 Oct 2026
Focus, Prayer and the Fight Against Distraction in Recovery
Episode Overview
- Recognise that constant digital noise erodes focus and makes recovery more difficult, especially around impulse control.
- Use spiritual disciplines such as silence, solitude, meditative prayer and scripture reading to slow down and return to reality.
- Ask reflective questions—what do I believe, what is actually true, why does it matter, what do I want to do—to create space between impulse and action.
- Treat fear as a meaningful signal rather than something to run from, using quiet reflection to understand what it’s revealing.
- Try a practical exercise: set a short timer, sit or walk in quiet, write down significant thoughts or memories, then pray over them and invite God into those areas.
“Every one of these disciplines grows our capacity to deal with life on life's terms.”
What drives someone to seek a more focused, grounded life in recovery? This conversation on Relational Recovery zeroes in on attention, distraction and prayer, especially for people wrestling with addiction and unwanted behaviours. Hosts Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk candidly about social media, big tech and the constant noise that makes it hard to think clearly. Wes describes "an assault on our attention" that ramps up anxiety, harms relationships and makes impulse control even harder for anyone in recovery.
Instead of blaming "society" like a grumpy old man, Austin presses the idea of choice: no one forces a thumb onto the Instagram icon. The heart of the episode is about spiritual disciplines: silence, solitude, meditative prayer and scripture reading.
These aren't presented as pious extras; they’re described as practical tools that "grow our capacity to deal with life on life's terms." Wes and Austin connect focus and prayer directly to addiction, using heroin use as a stark example of how slowing down and asking questions can create space between impulse and action.
You’ll hear a simple framework of reflective questions—what do I believe, what’s actually true, why does it matter, what do I want to do about it—as a kind of everyday impulse control. Fear isn't treated as the enemy; Austin calls it "a gift from God" that points to what really matters, if you’re willing to sit with it instead of running.
For anyone unsure how to start, Wes offers a very practical exercise: set a five or ten minute timer, sit or walk in quiet, jot down significant thoughts as they arise, then pray over what you’ve written. It’s honest about the fact this can feel uncomfortable, even stressful, but the message is clear: slowing down is hard work and deeply valuable in recovery.
Could a few minutes of quiet attention be your next step towards a calmer mind and a deeper connection with God?
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