Forgotten How To Pray?

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I am going through somewhat of a difficult patch of life at the moment, and I would be lying if I said that it hasn’t made me turn my back on God to a certain extent.
The problem is that I have forgotten how to pray. I feel as though if I began praying again it would only be to ask for help or ‘favours’ and I do not want to be dubbed a user. The irony is that when I pray things that I like to call ‘God-incidences’ happen and I am generally pretty good no matter what’s going on, and when I don’t pray these do not happen and I do not feel particularly good. I know that last comment sounds basic and obvious to say the east but I was wondering just how to get back on the Bible bandwagon and re-learn how to pray.

Any tips?
 
Call your local parish and find out when the offer adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Then, just go and sit in His presence. Allow Him to look at you while you look at Him. He knows your heart already.

Then, be as patient with Him as He has been with you.
“Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” - John 6:68
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Two excellent suggestions from @(name removed by moderator) and @po18guy

When I was faced with a similar situation, I took the pressure off myself to offer personal prayers. I prayed the Psalms using the Liturgy of the Hours and I went to adoration. So much grace came from these two things. Within about a month I was able to pray personal prayers again.

I also still pray the LOTH and go to adoration, so my spiritual life is that much richer for the experience.
 
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Sorry if I come across like a broken record regarding adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It’s just that, once one experiences miracles in His presence, it changes you. Forever.
 
That’s a strong reason that Catholicism is a liturgical religion. You don’t have to always be talking spontaneously to God (although many of us do all the time). There are many days people are grumpy or (if like me) in a brain fog, and saying the Liturgy of the Hours or the Rosary – that is, written prayers of great value – is just fine. Both are “time tested,” to say the least.
As others mention, you can also just sit before the Eucharist or in your own home quietly and beg the Lord to speak to you. Then just listen.
 
The Bible bandwagon ?

My advice - kneel - for 15 minutes in a row - each day.
With hands clasped together -
And held up to your lips -
15 minutes - each day.
 
Prayer is as simple as talking to God. Tell him about your day, like you would a friend.

To quote Fred Rogers “Now, you know prayer is asking for something, and sometimes you get a yes answer and sometimes you get a no answer. And just like anything else you might get angry when you get a no answer. But God respects your feelings, and God can take your anger as well as your happiness. So whatever you have to offer God through prayer - it seems to me - is a great gift. Because the thing God wants most of all is a relationship with you…” (The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers).
 
po18guy said:
It’s just that, once one experiences miracles in His presence, it changes you. Forever.
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Not a broken record at all. I had never even heard of Adoration, no idea “how” to do it. I was encouraged to “just go and sit.” Well, I did and immediately I knew what Adoration was and meant. It is such an intimate experience.
 
lolarose said:
I am going through somewhat of a difficult patch of life at the moment, and I would be lying if I said that it hasn’t made me turn my back on God to a certain extent.
The problem is that I have forgotten how to pray. I feel as though if I began praying again it would only be to ask for help or ‘favours’ and I do not want to be dubbed a user. The irony is that when I pray things that I like to call ‘God-incidences’ happen and I am generally pretty good no matter what’s going on, and when I don’t pray these do not happen and I do not feel particularly good. I know that last comment sounds basic and obvious to say the east but I was wondering just how to get back on the Bible bandwagon and re-learn how to pray.

Any tips?
Click to expand...
As Catholics, we are blessed to have many types of prayers, which we can used for our prayer - Divine Office, Rosary come to mind.

You can read the Bible too and reflect on the passages that you read. At least try to understand them. There is so much that we can pray by using them as springboard for prayers.

Prayer is not just about asking but to build a relationship with God. How could we have a relationship if we do not spend time with that person?

Prayer is also a communication with God, a bridge to God.

These are some of the things regarding prayers.

Persevere in prayers - make a schedule and do it. Perhaps a short prayer at a time and build on it.

God bless you.
 
If you don’t know how to pray, I would recommend praying the Psalms, and the rosary. Prayer is about transformation through envisioning. L’hitpallel is the Hebrew word translated as prayer, and means “to envision myself”. So we pray in order that we might envision ourselves the way God envisions us.

Hope that helps!
 
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That’s a wonderful way of looking at prayer. I never would have thought of it that way!
 
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