Books on prayer needed

[Future_Prodigy]

I have always struggled with the concept of prayer. I find it hard to take time to pray, and when i do pray i can not pray for more than 30 seconds. I feel like im talking to myself half the time and it seems silly using vocal prayer to a God who knows our everty thought.

I just was wondering what books you guys would recommend on prayer in general?!

 

[FCEGM]

I have always struggled with the concept of prayer. I find it hard to take time to pray, and when i do pray i can not pray for more than 30 seconds. I feel like im talking to myself half the time and it seems silly using vocal prayer to a God who knows our everty thought.

I just was wondering what books you guys would recommend on prayer in general?!

Any of the books by Fr. Thomas Dubay would be a great help. A Prayer Primer and Fire Within are two of his works.

 

[water]

Hello Future Prodigy,

Although God knows exactly what we have in mind without speaking, but He surely wants to hear from you as a Father and a child. It is not silly to talk to Him as He also taught us how to pray the Lord’s Prayer.

About 9 months ago, I had started using praying cards which you could find from any Catholic bookstore. These are small cards and they are not long. I keep 4 or 5 cards with me most of the time - going to church or work.

As time went on, I developed of habit of praying. I started to pray a bit longer using different prayers from books, and the prayers are from those holy canonized Saints. Their prayers are beautiful and meaningful, and they surely help me learn how to pray as well.

Here are some prayers/books that I now pray:

• Meditations on the Eucharist - by St. Alphonsus Liguori
• Catholic Novenas - edited by Bart Tesoriero (there are 15 novenas)
• a little pocket prayer book - and I used few prayers in these books.
• prayer book for Young Catholics - by Father Robert J. Fox
• An Hour with Jesus - this is an excellent book - published by Queenship
• 15 prayers of St. Bridget [meditation the passion of Christ]

I would suggest that you shouldn’t hurry finding any long prayer to start with, you might get discouraged. Start with some prayer that take you …say 5 to 10 minutes. Over time, you keep increase the praying time by 5 minutes or so…I would say …after 5 to 7 monthes, you can easily spend 30 min, 45 min, or one hour praying using prayers from books.

God bless.

 

[Future_Prodigy]

so in the catholic tradition prayer is seen as saying set prayers to God? Similar to the jewish tradition? I often think about it in terms of the evangelical type prayer where you just talk to HIm liek your best friend and anyone else… however, this type of prayer is what cuases me difficulty and i find i can not do. I have started meditation and really like that though!

 

[LilyM]

so in the catholic tradition prayer is seen as saying set prayers to God? Similar to the jewish tradition? I often think about it in terms of the evangelical type prayer where you just talk to HIm liek your best friend and anyone else… however, this type of prayer is what cuases me difficulty and i find i can not do. I have started meditation and really like that though!

Plenty of room for both types of prayer - in fact I’d say they’re both indispensable. Set prayers are good for those times when you kind of might be a bit uninspired prayer-wise. Jump starts the motor so to speak

If you like meditation you might be interested in the practice of Lectio Divina (plenty of articles about it on the net, just do a google search). It basically involves taking a short passage of scripture (for example one of the readings from Mass) and spending some time with it, letting it sink in, and praying as it moves you to do so.

 

[Vianney]

I would highly recommend Romano Gaurdini’s book, “The Art of Praying.” He is Pope Benedict’s favorite author, and it might be what you’re looking for.

You can find it on Amazon for as low as $2.69 right now.

Here’s a link

On a more practical level, I would recommend the following:

Search for some prayers that you really like and create intervals during the day which you can commit to saying on a regular basis. You can find great prayers here.

Here’s a basic example.

Morning: praying the Morning Offering

Noon - Midday: pray the Angelus

Evening - Night: pray the rosary or some devotion or read Scripture or a spiritual book follwed by a brief examination of conscience and an act of contrition.

With each of these prayers, strive to say them with sincerity and great faith, meditating on the words and their meaning. With the Morning Offering, I would share with God my goals for the day and beg of him the assistance I will surely need during moments of struggle, that I may resist any temptations and seek to glorify His Name always.

Remember to give God praise and thanksgiving; to ask for forgiveness; pray for your needs and the needs of others (family, friends, those away from the faith, for the unborn and an end to abortion, the poor and hungry, for the Pope and all clergy, etc.)

“Hitherto, you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

Hope that helps : ) God bless!

 

[Steadfast_love]

There are 16 types of prayer enumerated in the The Luke E. Hart Series (it’s online and free! )

WHAT IS PRAYER?

Prayer is extremely simple: it is just communication with God, conversation with God, communing with God.

Prayer can be either private or public, individual or communal. We need both kinds.

Prayer can be either informal or formal, in our own words or in the words of the saints from the many centuries of the Church’s tradition. We need both kinds.

Prayer can be either vocal or silent, with words or without words. We need both kinds.

Prayer can be either active or receptive, speaking to God or listening to God (just being in his presence, waiting in love, open to his will). We need both kinds. I’ve found it the whole series to be very helpful, but the section on prayer was especialy so.

 

[puzzleannie]

Appointment with God by Fr. Michael Scanlan TOR, available from Franciscan University Press
small pocket size prayer primer addresses difficulties stated by OP

 

[thistle]

I have always struggled with the concept of prayer. I find it hard to take time to pray, and when i do pray i can not pray for more than 30 seconds. I feel like im talking to myself half the time and it seems silly using vocal prayer to a God who knows our everty thought.

I just was wondering what books you guys would recommend on prayer in general?!

Prayer for Beginners by Peter Kreeft
Prayer: The Great Conversation by Peter Kreeft