A Problem for the Future: Praying while Working a Lot

[Funvod]

So this is kind of the reason I made an account in the first place, but I got sidetracked with the other discussions here.

The biggest struggle I have in my faith right now is slowing down and actually making time for prayer. Until recently I’ve been an international student, which involved lots of work in an already work-heavy culture. I’m returning to the States for University, which I imagine will have less of a workload, but the likelihood that I get a job abroad in Busan or Seoul is pretty high,which means that I have a pretty good chance of literally working all day.

I’m not here to talk about work culture, but I want to know if anyone has any advice for keeping some kind of prayer routine during a busy time. My worry is that I will be caught up in a lot of work and just stop talking to God in the meantime. That’s already happened a couple of times in highschool.

Is there anyone in this forum who has a busy job or a crowded schedule? How do you maintain your prayer life in the midst of it?

 

[otjm]

There is always time at the beginning fo the day to spend a few moments in prayer; likewise, there is always time before going to bed to do likewise.

My favorite is the Liturgy of the Hours. It is not necessary, let alone required to say all the hours, One could pick one at night - Compline - which only takes a few minutes; one could say Lauds in the morning, or Vespers. There is a one volume book Called Shorter Christian Prayer which fits that. Lauds or Vespers might take as much as 15 minutes, so it is not a long, drawn out process, and one is praying the other Liturgy of the Church, And given that it is the Psalms, you are not repeating the same prayers each day as it is on a 4 week cycle.

How you maintain a prayer life? saying one (or more) of the Hours is a bit like brushing your teeth each day - it is a habit, and you simply make a bit of time for it, just as you do for your daily ablutions.

 

[po18guy]

Oh, look! There are Archdioceses in both Busan and Seoul! Betcha there are parishes with Tabernacles! Hmm…what could one do near the Tabernacle… Seriously, you can pray while you work; while you commute; while you walk; while you wait. Chaplets, Rosaries, mental prayer. The sky is the limit. The point is to develop the habit of prayer which feeds the desire - and vice versa.

천주교 부산교구

http://aos.catholic.or.kr/#

 

[Irishmom2]

Is there anyone in this forum who has a busy job or a crowded schedule?

I don’t think prayer is reserved for people that aren’t busy.

In the moment you open your eyes, say a prayer.

Set an alarm to wake yourself even a few minutes earlier than needed, and say a prayer.

Before you put food in your mouth, say a prayer.

While you drive, take transit, or walk to where you are going, say a prayer.

When something or someone pops into your mind during the day that needs help, say a prayer.

When you experience anything beautiful, or troubling, difficult or serendipitous throughout your day, say a prayer.

As you drive, take transit or walk home, say a prayer.

Make some time once home, and say a prayer.

Before you close your eyes for sleep, say a prayer.

Any prayer. Memorized, read, made up. It doesn’t matter, just pray. There is always time.

 

[Dan_Defender]

I work full time and sometimes extra hours so time is limited. During the week short prayers. Sometimes just close my eyes and meditate for a few minutes. Rosary only on the weekend. Like the Didache says, do as much as you can.

 

[B79]

You could get in the habit of pausing and saying a prayer or two at the top of every hour (or some other regular time), regardless of what else is going on. That way you’re not letting work consume you (which is a frequent temptation of mine).

 

[OddBird]

Monastic (particularly Benedictine) spirituality helps me for this. I try to make work a prayer – doing it for God, trying to find and keep inner silence, learning to find Him in the middle of menial things. It’s probably easier with non-intellectual chores though.

I pray two to four LOTH offices each days, that helps me too.

 

[Funvod]

Thank you all for your responses. It’s helped more than you know.

 

[MeganCecilia]

This can definitely be a challenge but it’s great that you want to increase your prayer time! I try to utilize all the time I can if my day is super busy with school. I’ll pray while I get ready, and ill pray in my car on the way to school! Just those moments of quiet that you get throughout the day you can dedicate to prayer. I also like to pray right when I wake up and right when I go to bed. If you can’t in the morning then at least do it at night! It’s a great way to end your day

 

[anendlesswaltz]

I work as a cashier and i think-pray a lot; i just talk to God in my head, praying and talking to him. I need to work on praying before meals, too. I think simple, quick prayers like that or even praying while working is what works for me. I would love to have a set daily prayer routine, but I don’t, and i find that often times just praying as i work does a lot of good for my spiritual life and it keeps me close to God because in praying often in my head as i’m going about my work duties, i’m keeping my heart and mind on God.

I’m not a catholic, though, and i don’t know if that’s something catholics agree with? Catholics have a lot of doctrine i’m unfamiliar with, I was raised southern baptist. I came on here because catholics more than anything else seem, from an outsiders perspective, to center their life around Christ and that’s what i want to do. The heart’s what’s important. Its what i feel God is calling me to do, to center my life around him and not simply work him in wherever is convenient.

You can also make up a quick prayer or few to pray throughout the day. One of my most common, regular prayers throughout the day is to simply pause and ask for the holy spirit’s guidance and that i would have ears to hear and a heart to listen to his guidance. I don’t want to get caught up in work or anything else and forget about God, as i’m so prone to doing. Or you could make up a small, short prayer to say thank you to God. Or pray for someone who needs it, whether they ask for it or not.