Compulsive Praying

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TheHolyTrinity9

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For the past year I have been praying so forth for a while, but at times I find that it’s mor a compulsive habit then anything because I feel as if that you don’t pray it’s bad or that if you don’t say not enough rosaries then you are considered bad. I feel like I have scrupulous, please help.
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
For the past year I have been praying so forth for a while, but at times I find that it’s mor a compulsive habit then anything because I feel as if that you don’t pray it’s bad or that if you don’t say not enough rosaries then you are considered bad. I feel like I have scrupulous, please help.
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There’s this user group:
forums.catholic-questions.org/group.php?groupid=454
I don’t have any actual advice though. In fact, I’ve always kind of wished I had scrupulosity.
I suppose that means I don’t understand it very well. It seems like a highly positive trait to me.🤷
 
If you want a real good book on prayer, read “Fire Within” by Fr.Thomas Dubay. I am currently half way through the book and it a gem on prayer especially contemplation. From what I have heard contemplation does help with scrupulosity.
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
For the past year I have been praying so forth for a while, but at times I find that it’s mor a compulsive habit then anything because I feel as if that you don’t pray it’s bad or that if you don’t say not enough rosaries then you are considered bad. I feel like I have scrupulous, please help.
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You mean that you do not pray because you want to converse with your loving God but rather because you feel obligated to? Yes, it is our duty to pray to God, but we should pray because we love Him and want to honor Him and want to do our part to save souls. We should pray at least five decades of the holy rosary, some prayers in the morning and at night, and ejaculations throughout the day. If we do this and fight against temptations during our prayer, then we are praying quite well and this will make our Lord very pleased. God bless you.
 
ready said:
You mean that you do not pray because you want to converse with your loving God but rather because you feel obligated to? Yes, it is our duty to pray to God, but we should pray because we love Him and want to honor Him and want to do our part to save souls. We should pray at least five decades of the holy rosary, some prayers in the morning and at night, and ejaculations throughout the day. If we do this and fight against temptations during our prayer, then we are praying quite well and this will make our Lord very pleased. God bless you.
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What I am saying that I do pray, I do a decade of the rosary and a lot of prayers at night especially, this has turned into a routine hence become compulsive. I feel that it’s loosing the element of prayer and is becoming a cycle of words instead. Even when I try to tone it down cause I get sleep deprived I go on for a hour at times, I just want to know if there is any suggestions so I can retain the devotion to God and not get sleep deprived?
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
What I am saying that I do pray, I do a decade of the rosary and a lot of prayers at night especially, this has turned into a routine hence become compulsive. I feel that it’s loosing the element of prayer and is becoming a cycle of words instead. Even when I try to tone it down cause I get sleep deprived I go on for a hour at times, I just want to know if there is any suggestions so I can retain the devotion to God and not get sleep deprived?
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Okay, it is very good to use vocal prayers, and we should pray vocal prayers, especially the holy rosary (which is also mental prayer). What you should do is pray a certain fixed number of prayers at morning and at night - and DO NOT exceed this amount; pray your rosary, but do not exceed 15 decades each day, unless something extraordinary calls for it; pray ejaculations from your heart throughout your day, and only from your heart. DO NOT do any of these prayers for any bad reason like your wanting to be seen as good by God (as you have said); pray to honor and please God and to get closer to Him, to seek His assistance, to save souls, etc… When you begin praying compulsively, STOP your praying and put yourself in God’s loving presence and ask Mary to help you pray the right way. Do you think you can give this a try? God bless you.
 
ready said:
Okay, it is very good to use vocal prayers, and we should pray vocal prayers, especially the holy rosary (which is also mental prayer). What you should do is pray a certain fixed number of prayers at morning and at night - and DO NOT exceed this amount; pray your rosary, but do not exceed 15 decades each day, unless something extraordinary calls for it; pray ejaculations from your heart throughout your day, and only from your heart. DO NOT do any of these prayers for any bad reason like your wanting to be seen as good by God (as you have said); pray to honor and please God and to get closer to Him, to seek His assistance, to save souls, etc… When you begin praying compulsively, STOP your praying and put yourself in God’s loving presence and ask Mary to help you pray the right way. Do you think you can give this a try? God bless you.
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This helps me a lot. Thank you! 👍

God Bless!
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
This helps me a lot. Thank you! 👍

God Bless!
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Excellent! Please let me know how you make out. I’ll be praying for you. Oh, and please be sure to put yourself in God’s loving presence before you begin your prayers if this does not happen automatically for you. And make a brief act of humility right afterwards. This helps us and should be standard practice, though not many of us practice this. God bless you.
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
For the past year I have been praying so forth for a while, but at times I find that it’s mor a compulsive habit then anything because I feel as if that you don’t pray it’s bad or that if you don’t say not enough rosaries then you are considered bad. I feel like I have scrupulous, please help.
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Yes, I agree that you have scrupulosity and OCD issues. I have recommended in prior posts that you seek spiritual counsel from your pastor and a mental health professional. I repeat that suggestion here. Get help locally and do not delay further.

God bless. I hope you are able to get these compulsive thoughts under control with the help of your pastor and a counselor.
 
I also think that you should discuss this with somebody individually.

Some of these things you can maybe also think of yourself.

Just some food for thought:
  1. Prayer should come out of love. Love is the most important thing.
  2. If you feel your praying is compulsive, then maybe you are too strict with yourself, giving ourself a too strict prayer routine - depending on where you are in your spiritual life, depending on how many other obligations you have in life, depending on a LOT of factors
  3. BUT, on th eother hand, on a public forum, we cannot know this. There are also people who SHOULD pray more (but I must say, generally they would not be the ones who would then feel guilty and come ask at a moral theology forum).
  4. Only somebody who talks to you individually can really say what the problem is, if your praying is really too strict for your situation, or whatever it is that makes it feel compulsive… and IS IT really compulsive or is it just that you must get used to a richer prayer life.
  5. Praying is important but I don’t think that it is a sin to not say certain prayers unless you are living in a Holy Order or are a priest… (please correct me if I am wrong. I do not think it is a sin to not pray the rosary, for example, even though it is good to pray it. As I said, correct me somebody if I am wrong). For somebody with scrupulosity it may hekp to know NOT praying a certain prayer would not be a sin, in order to pray it more freely, with more love (and not for example having to go back and repeat passages thought to not have been said “right”).
  6. To be repeated: Most important is love. And I think also listening to what God is telling US. FEEL Him. Accept HIS LOVE. Trust Him. Sit with Him a bit, so to say.
  7. also to be repeated: best to talk to somebody individually, because we here cannot know if htis is really a problem of scrupulosity (a problem I know all too well, by the way!!!)… to put it a bit awkwardly: If you are TOO STRICT or, on the complete opposite side (which I doubt) too “lazy” or inexperienced with prayer. 😉
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
What I am saying that I do pray, I do a decade of the rosary and a lot of prayers at night especially, this has turned into a routine hence become compulsive. I feel that it’s loosing the element of prayer and is becoming a cycle of words instead. Even when I try to tone it down cause I get sleep deprived I go on for a hour at times, I just want to know if there is any suggestions so I can retain the devotion to God and not get sleep deprived?
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Did someone give you a prayer rule or did you come up with it yourself?
 
The problem is I do one thing that I think is sinful (Scrupulous) and it makes me worry to the point where I am constantly praying in the fear that if I dont, I will disown God, this in turn makes me sleep deprived as I am praying for what would be a hour+ at times for something I know isn’t wrong but am still worried about it.
 
TheHolyTrinity9 said:
The problem is I do one thing that I think is sinful (Scrupulous) and it makes me worry to the point where I am constantly praying in the fear that if I dont, I will disown God, this in turn makes me sleep deprived as I am praying for what would be a hour+ at times for something I know isn’t wrong but am still worried about it.
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Do you think your loving God wants you to do that???

It really has a sound of OCD to it… the feeling of having to have it done perfectly, and until then you can’t stop?

I really feel for you, that is a horrible feeling, i know it from personal experience.

Please remember God’s love and mercy, and I think it owuld really help you to talk to a priest about this who can counel you. Best somebody you can see regularly, either in confession or to talk about these problems.
 
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