Help with Prayer Life

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Ghola5

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I am a young man, recent convert and I am sad to report that my devotion is already ebbing away. I come from a secular background and had a somewhat fast and dramatic conversion of heart although it took me some time to formally enter into communion of the Church.

Recently I find myself simply going through the motions of Christian life. Saturday and Sunday are full of anticipation until Mass. When the weekdays roll around I find myself hardly keeping up with daily readings or prayers.

Can someone recommend a book that contains all, or as many as possible, Catholic prayers? Daily, Devotions, Litanies, etc… I know there are many resources online but I hope there is a printed format with prayers and instruction, for example, when one should start special novenas and so forth.

Please help me and pray for me, (Alex).
 
I will pray for you every day Alex, during my journey to work.

When we feel on our own
Reassure us, Lord, of Your presence.
 
**Dear Alex,
I use Christian Prayers; a short form of the Liturgy of the Hours.
It’s quite complex so you would want a Priest help you get started.
Also go to Catholic Book Publishers web site, they have a lot of devotional books.
I will pray for you because I am going through my own struggle with prayer right now.
Mass is the highest prayer so go often.
**
 
Hi, Alex!

You may want to check if your parish office has any books you can borrow or simply stop by a Catholic bookstore. (Not to forget that this website has an online bookstore of its own, of course.:))

The Liturgy of the Hours is a formal method of praying through the day, but don’t forget that you can create your own schedule. For example:

Quick prayer before getting out of bed for strength for the day.
Prayer of thanks before each meal (and after if you wish).
Some dedicated time during the day when you can read and meditate on the bible. (There are several websites where you can follow the readings that would be said at that day’s daily mass.)
Prayer before bed. (I often start a rosary, but there’s a long story behind that.)
    • Pick the subset of these that fits your life and stick with it! Even a minute at a time can lead to great benefits to your spiritual life.
On the advice of a spiritual director, during a particularly difficult time of my life, I used a different style that works for some people (based on the “practice of the presence of God” tradition, I suppose). During my driving time, I imagined Jesus sitting in the passenger seat and I would tell him my troubles and worries, and usually I would be able to relax enough to get around to praise and thanksgiving. (I know it made me a better husband and father when I walked through the door at home.)

Praying for us all,
  • curl
 
Yes Curl is right = our parish has stacks of book to take and read. Its a good way to find your own style of books that you like. I will reccommend God of Surprises by Gerard Hughes as good - but its deep. Its not a prayer book.

Try downloading the prayers at
pray-as-you-go.org/
also
aftershock.org.uk/
I know they are not books = but its a start and very good as well.

If you want formal prayers - then I’d ask someone in the parish for what they have.
Maybe they have a parish secretary that will know whats ideal.
Good luck
candle
 
This probably will not help you any, but… Besides the Psalms and other prayers in the Bible, I personally recommend “Drink of the Stream: Prayers of Carmelites” compiled by Penny Hickey. It is my favorite prayer book although it does not have the common Catholic stuff.

I only have a Spanish book of many Catholic prayers. I have one booklet called “Prayer Time: A Collection of Catholic Prayers”; it has the main prayers, but it is not extensive.

I do not have much advice except to maybe try talking to God while doing things that require little effort, i.e. walking, resting, showering, etc… Talking to God is what we are doing when praying. We thank, give praise, adore, confess, intercess, petition… Maybe it might help you in making the time set aside for specifically this purpose. Just a thought. Take care friend
 
I really like the prayer book “Visits to the Blessed Sacrament” by St Alphonsus Liguori. It’s available online and it’s published by TAN: stalphonsusbalt.org/stavisits.htm

when I’m feeling lukewarm in my faith, I find that writings by St Liguori really help. He wrote a book called “the Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ” which is excellent and I really recommend it 🙂

Also this website has many great prayers: 2heartsnetwork.org/prayers.htm

God bless
 
I’ve always thought very highly of St. Francis de Sales book, Introduction to the devout life.

You can get a free PDF of it here.
 
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