Help for prayer life?

[AveMariaConvert]

Because I am a young carer I find it hard to find time for prayer because I am caring all day and then when I get into bed, I just fall asleep!

I tried praying whilst I’m caring but my family frown upon it because they are athiests. Also I find it hard to concentrate when I pray because of my monkey mind and all of the jobs I have to do and when do I get my brothers their dinner and stuff like that.

I try to get someone to take over on a Sunday so I can go to mass and most of my main devotions are done there or at school.

Any tips? I would really appreciate some ideas!

God bless!

Chloe

 

[BarbG]

I would suggest you get a Rosary – I say a decade or so at various times during the day and say the last decade before I turn out the light at night. For instance, when I’m drinking my first cup of coffee I say the first 2 decades and pray for all the people who have Parkinson’s Disease (my husband had it). Then when I do various things in the day and can concentrate on the prayers of a particular decade I say a decade or so for my children, my grandchildren, a class at the Catholic Grammar school of my Parish and the last decade for all the blessings I have received. I’m very fond of my rosary because the one I use was sent to me by my granddaughter from Paris, France - Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s the last thing I check to make sure it’s in my purse when I leave the house.
You might think about trying it – I do hope you’ll be successful!

 

[DebChris]

Because I am a young carer I find it hard to find time for prayer because I am caring all day and then when I get into bed, I just fall asleep!

I tried praying whilst I’m caring but my family frown upon it because they are athiests. Also I find it hard to concentrate when I pray because of my monkey mind and all of the jobs I have to do and when do I get my brothers their dinner and stuff like that.

I try to get someone to take over on a Sunday so I can go to mass and most of my main devotions are done there or at school.

Any tips? I would really appreciate some ideas!

God bless!

Chloe

Think of your service as prayer. Prayer is not only the words we recite.
Prayer is the lifting up of our hearts and minds to God.
You have already made a start by using time at school for your main devotions, if time at home if difficult, including the rosary.

 

[Dorothy]

Because I am a young carer I find it hard to find time for prayer because I am caring all day and then when I get into bed, I just fall asleep!

I tried praying whilst I’m caring but my family frown upon it because they are athiests. Also I find it hard to concentrate when I pray because of my monkey mind and all of the jobs I have to do and when do I get my brothers their dinner and stuff like that.

I try to get someone to take over on a Sunday so I can go to mass and most of my main devotions are done there or at school.

Any tips? I would really appreciate some ideas!

God bless!

Chloe

Chloe,

You mentioned that your family frown on you praying while working because they are atheists. Is it because you pray aloud? One can pray and make short prayers focused on the Lord and His Blessed Mother without even moving your lips. And while you are serving the ones you care for, you can think of serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I first was taught about deeper prayer the priest said our mind is like “a barrel of monkeys.” Distractions will always come, it is how we handle them that counts. Don’t allow distractions to discourage you. Each time you bring your focus back on the Lord, you are showing Him that you are choosing Him and not the distractions.

May the Holy Spirit lead you on your spiritual journey!

 

[Maristella]

Hi Chloe,

Making time to pray is a challenge for many. You’ll get tons of ideas in this thread, I’m sure! One thought that helped me prioritize prayer time was a priest who said “No one ever starves to death because they couldn’t find time to eat.” We make time to do the things that are really important to us.

One suggestion I have if you have a smartphone is an app from the Carmelite Friars of the Chicago Province: The Daily Disconnect. It’s a guided 8-minute meditation - a good place to start, and a good bare minimum if you find yourself at the end of another day and haven’t set aside time for prayer yet.

It can be accessed either on your smartphone or on their website. For more info, visit carmelites.net/news/new-noteworthy-12000-downloads-daily-disconnect-podcast/

 

[AveMariaConvert]

Thank you all!
I do have a rosary and try to pray a decade or two a day.
My family don’t like the notion of pray at all so I try and keep my devotions private but openly so that my family don’t feel like I’ve got something to hide.

The rosary is a beautiful prayer but I can never concentrate enough…

Do you have any tips?

God bless!

 

[JM3]

Use short prayers, or aspirations, throughout the day.

ourcatholicprayers.com/aspirations.html

Jesus, Mary, I love you. Save souls!

Jesus I trust in You!

Blessed be God! (also, Blessed be God forever!)

Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things!

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forevermore.

Sweet Heart of Jesus, be my love!

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

From all sin, deliver me, O Lord.

O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

Mother of mercy, pray for us.

ourcatholicprayers.com/scriptural-rosary.html