I didn't have a prayer life at all, really, until I started telling myself that partial credit counts and it was ok to do things imperfectly.
I have found that walking/moving and praying helps. My mind wanders a lot when I'm sitting still.
((EDITED: I had a further description of my prayer life here, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable having it all out there on a public forum. Probably my scruple brain talking, but it's persistently bothering me, so I'm leaving this here instead. Even though my prayer life is pretty dang wimpy, all things considered).
Frameworks are helpful, but the love and trust offered up within the prayer can magnify the prayer’s individual value, even if small.
One ‘Our Father’, said through tears, is better than an entire Rosary, if said Rosary is reeled off with the dry apathy of reading numbers in a spreadsheet.
Practice detachment from my desire to have my prayers answered in a timely manner. I am good at checking the boxes and praying my rosary too often from my head and not my heart. Focus more on not saying my prayers, but giving myself to God in my prayers... Inhale, exhale.. Jesus I trust in you as I make my humble offering of these prayers throughout my day.
I often say what G. K. Chesterton said, and had no idea it was him! How cool is that?! As a recovering perfectionist and workaholic, what Chesterton has said, and was it Voltaire - the other one? - these resonate me with me in a very healthy way. I must remind myself that my efforts, how every poor these may be, are better than doing nothing, and therefore is acceptable, especially when I am developing my spiritual muscles to develop and stick with a prayer plan, as you describe it. Just yesterday as the family was arriving for Mass, my son was sharing his prayer plan since beginning Exodus 90 for a third time. It was dizzying, and he estimates that he is praying around three hours a day, and some of it is done with the family and/or my sweet daughter-in-law. I complimented him on this in writing this morning; I actually meant to do that yesterday.
But it got me thinking about my prayer life, and to b e honest, it has been suffering since i had to relinquish six of my regular, assigned Holy Hours in the Adoration Chapel in my town (such a blessing to have, and we’re not a big town at 129,000 people). Because of the spacing of my Holy Hours, and Sunday Mass, and my efforts to pray a minimum of one Rosary but aiming for three (one to accompany prayer petitions, one for our country, and one Pro-Life), beginning my day with scripture, and ending my day with some serious praying. But my prayer is somewhat bracketed to just in the morning when I first awaken and then at bedtime. There’s a lot of time and life happening during the day between dawn and bedtime.
I am going to take your suggestion and develop a prayer plan. I do appreciate what Cody Hayes has outlined. I even appreciate Emily Hess’ suggestion of combining prayer time with a walk, something I need to be doing. This is why I was looking closely at Magnify 90 for women, because it encourages more physical activity, and at 71, I need to push myself to be more active. Writing, reading, handwork, and tv watching all are sitting activities, and at my age, my muscles weaken at an exponential rate when I spend a day just sitting.
If this hasn’t already been mentioned, one’s prayer plan needs to be visualized. It needs to be written down in an old-fashioned calendar or in one’s iPhone calendar, otherwise in my experience it won’t happen. One might even need to have loud, annoying alarms in the beginning to make sure it occurs. And, of course, we need to extend to us the same consideration we would any friend, because when life gets in the way, we pivot, we adjust, we aim to do better the next day.
Thank you for your article! It along with my son are inspiring me to become more organized and more intentional about my prayer life. Thank you🕊️
One prayer routine that’s worked for me is reading the daily gospel while brushing my teeth in the morning. It helps me to anchor that habit (daily mass reading) to a daily habit. Bonus: it shapes my day without me really thinking about it.
I also do a lot of walking prayer with mostly the Jesus prayer, three prostrations as recommended by my priest and the Holy Rosary daily (despite not technically being Catholic). Thank you kindly for this very helpful and encouraging post.
Does anyone else read in Matt's accent?
Morning Prayers:
• Daily Offering
• Prayer to St. Joseph
• Marriage Vows
• Our Father
• Hail Mary (3x)
• Glory Be Doxology
• Gospel reading for the day
• Moment of silence
• Jesus Prayer (100x mentally with slow deep breaths)
12 PM:
• Angelus
3 PM:
• Ejaculation to the Divine Mercy (Chaplet if possible)
Evening Prayers:
• Family Rosary (or just one decade due to time constraints)
• Angel of God (with children)
• Examination of Conscience
• Act of Contrition (or Psalm 51)
TY Matt!
I didn't have a prayer life at all, really, until I started telling myself that partial credit counts and it was ok to do things imperfectly.
I have found that walking/moving and praying helps. My mind wanders a lot when I'm sitting still.
((EDITED: I had a further description of my prayer life here, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable having it all out there on a public forum. Probably my scruple brain talking, but it's persistently bothering me, so I'm leaving this here instead. Even though my prayer life is pretty dang wimpy, all things considered).
The quote is from St. Josemaria Escrivá. The way, 552
More simply stated than Matt's great rendition: "Have only a few private devotions, but be constant in them."
Frameworks are helpful, but the love and trust offered up within the prayer can magnify the prayer’s individual value, even if small.
One ‘Our Father’, said through tears, is better than an entire Rosary, if said Rosary is reeled off with the dry apathy of reading numbers in a spreadsheet.
Practice detachment from my desire to have my prayers answered in a timely manner. I am good at checking the boxes and praying my rosary too often from my head and not my heart. Focus more on not saying my prayers, but giving myself to God in my prayers... Inhale, exhale.. Jesus I trust in you as I make my humble offering of these prayers throughout my day.
I often say what G. K. Chesterton said, and had no idea it was him! How cool is that?! As a recovering perfectionist and workaholic, what Chesterton has said, and was it Voltaire - the other one? - these resonate me with me in a very healthy way. I must remind myself that my efforts, how every poor these may be, are better than doing nothing, and therefore is acceptable, especially when I am developing my spiritual muscles to develop and stick with a prayer plan, as you describe it. Just yesterday as the family was arriving for Mass, my son was sharing his prayer plan since beginning Exodus 90 for a third time. It was dizzying, and he estimates that he is praying around three hours a day, and some of it is done with the family and/or my sweet daughter-in-law. I complimented him on this in writing this morning; I actually meant to do that yesterday.
But it got me thinking about my prayer life, and to b e honest, it has been suffering since i had to relinquish six of my regular, assigned Holy Hours in the Adoration Chapel in my town (such a blessing to have, and we’re not a big town at 129,000 people). Because of the spacing of my Holy Hours, and Sunday Mass, and my efforts to pray a minimum of one Rosary but aiming for three (one to accompany prayer petitions, one for our country, and one Pro-Life), beginning my day with scripture, and ending my day with some serious praying. But my prayer is somewhat bracketed to just in the morning when I first awaken and then at bedtime. There’s a lot of time and life happening during the day between dawn and bedtime.
I am going to take your suggestion and develop a prayer plan. I do appreciate what Cody Hayes has outlined. I even appreciate Emily Hess’ suggestion of combining prayer time with a walk, something I need to be doing. This is why I was looking closely at Magnify 90 for women, because it encourages more physical activity, and at 71, I need to push myself to be more active. Writing, reading, handwork, and tv watching all are sitting activities, and at my age, my muscles weaken at an exponential rate when I spend a day just sitting.
If this hasn’t already been mentioned, one’s prayer plan needs to be visualized. It needs to be written down in an old-fashioned calendar or in one’s iPhone calendar, otherwise in my experience it won’t happen. One might even need to have loud, annoying alarms in the beginning to make sure it occurs. And, of course, we need to extend to us the same consideration we would any friend, because when life gets in the way, we pivot, we adjust, we aim to do better the next day.
Thank you for your article! It along with my son are inspiring me to become more organized and more intentional about my prayer life. Thank you🕊️
One prayer routine that’s worked for me is reading the daily gospel while brushing my teeth in the morning. It helps me to anchor that habit (daily mass reading) to a daily habit. Bonus: it shapes my day without me really thinking about it.
Very helpful brother. I’ve adopted this and it’s bearing fruit. Thank you.
6:30am- a spiritual chapter and scripture
When my wife and daughter wakes up - a psalm
12pm- Angelus
3pm- holy hour(weekly, trying to make it daily)
Evenings and nights have been hard. Pray I may find a routine before I rest to sleep.
I also do a lot of walking prayer with mostly the Jesus prayer, three prostrations as recommended by my priest and the Holy Rosary daily (despite not technically being Catholic). Thank you kindly for this very helpful and encouraging post.