I hope you will guide me to the best way I can keep my thoughts focused on the prayer and be humble in it?

Question:
I have tried many times, when I stand for prayer, not to think about anything other than it. But all my attempts have failed. And when I tried to occupy my thoughts with the verses I am reciting, but because I have recited the same verses so many times, I could not stay focused. So the question is from a female listener: I could not stay focused on the prayer. Honorable Shaykh, I hope you will guide me to the best way I can keep my thoughts focused on the prayer. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. Allah the Exalted said, in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: He the Exalted said: So humility in prayer is its spirit and its essence. It is obligatory for the Muslim to try to be humble in prayer, and this is done by performing the causes that bring him humility. The greatest of these is keeping in mind the greatness of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), who is standing before him. Indeed, for Allah is the highest example, if a person were standing before an emir, a king, or one of the leaders, you would see him at the peak of caution so that nothing happens from him that would be criticized before this human being. How much more so for the person who stands before the King of Kings? Indeed, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), as is authentic in the hadith, turns His Face toward the Face of the one praying and answers him when he supplicates. This is a great position that the one praying keeps in mind, so he is humble before his Lord (Mighty and Majestic). So this is one of the causes of humility: not entering prayer while one’s mind is preoccupied with thoughts or with works that disturb his prayer. Rather, he cuts off these works, these thoughts, these matters, and these preoccupations, and turns to his prayer. Also, one of the causes of humility is that a person abandons what occupies him in prayer, such as entering it while in the presence of food he desires. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And also, he does not enter prayer while holding in his urine or struggling with his stool. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So he enters prayer with a peaceful mind, with nothing in him or upon him that distracts him from being present in it.
Among the greatest things that require humility is also reflecting upon the Qur'an. A person recites al-Fatihah, which is the Mother of the Qur'an and the greatest surah in the Qur'an, and he reflects upon every verse and every word of its great words as he recites it in his prayer, so he becomes humble. He reflects upon what he recites after al-Fatihah of the words of Allah the Exalted. Indeed, this is a cause for his humility. Allah the Exalted and Glorious said: "Perhaps you will show mercy." So he listens to his recitation if he is praying for himself, and he becomes humble in it and reflects upon it. Likewise, he listens to the recitation of the imam if he is praying behind an imam who recites aloud, for this is among the causes of humility. Likewise, if a distraction comes to him in the form of thinking or whispering, he must hasten to reject it and leave it, and turn to his prayer. Yes.