Taking A Fresh Look At Prayer Life
I know that I can always have a better prayer life. I think this is something to strive for each day of our lives, and it’s a goal that perhaps won’t ever be met—we can always increase our communication with God. I recently spoke with a priest about prayer and about how this one area of my life can have an impact on everything else. He presented ideas in a slightly different way that resonated with me, and I’d like to share what he said.
Father began by asking if my prayer fit where I was currently at in life. He said he’s afraid there are 40-year-olds who still say their 5-year-old prayers, and 80-year-olds who may still be praying like they’re 20. He said this doesn’t mean not to pray the Catholic prayers we are taught, but when and how we pray, our style of prayer, how we communicate with God, may change through the years and certainly varies from one person to another. He focused on the fact that “prayer is life-giving.” He passionately explained that if we realized prayer is life-giving, and that everything else in our day depends on prayer, we would make it a priority and build our days around it. He said to always say my morning, noon, and night prayers—but if I’m not a morning person, don’t choose that time for silent, meditative prayer, to grow ever deeper to listen to the Lord. If I easily fall asleep in the evenings during prayer, then that isn’t the best time either. He encouraged me to pray for guidance about when I will best be able to engage in prayer.
I would venture to say that there are nearly countless ways to pray. The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies five basic areas: worship, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. There’s scripture reading, Lectio Divina, spiritual reading, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary and other memorized prayers, meditation, and just talking with and listening to the Lord. We can pray on our knees, on the couch, while on a jog, during our work day, and through words, silence, and lifting our hearts to God. I’d love to know how and where others pray. I’m going to try to keep the priest’s words in mind, “prayer is life-giving,” and discern how I can best create my life around prayer.
After a time in the desert growing closer to God, now we can emerge in this Easter season refreshed and joyful and allow this peace and joy to help our prayer and guide our lives.
