AndroidManifest.xml

<receiver android:name="com.akalipetis.android.testing_demo.MyReceiver">
    <intent-filter>
        <action android:name="my.custom.action"/>
    </intent-filter>
</receiver>

MainActivity.java

public class MainActivity extends Activity {

    private BroadcastReceiver mReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
        @Override
        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
            // TODO Act when in foreground here
            abortBroadcast();
        }
    };
    private IntentFilter mFilter = new IntentFilter("my.custom.action");

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        mFilter.setPriority(IntentFilter.SYSTEM_HIGH_PRIORITY);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStart() {
        super.onStart();
        registerReceiver(mReceiver, mFilter);
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStop() {
        super.onStop();
        unregisterReceiver(mReceiver);
    }
}

MyReceiver.java

public class MyReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {

    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        // TODO Implement action when not in foreground here
    }
}

Can you also add on how to send the broadcast?

sendOrderedBroadcast()

Intent intent = new Intent();
intent.setAction("my.custom.action");
sendOrderedBroadcast(intent,null);