How do you Pray Constantly

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Ohana said:
I am feeling called to more contemplative prayer, but I used to think I had to go sit somewhere and be quiet. Well that is good too, but we can also contemplate in an active life I think. I have good times with God when gardening for example - although not this time of year!

We have an outdoor stations of the cross near here. That might be a good place to both be prayful and to contemplate the gaze of Jesus.
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I’m also convinced there is an “active contemplation.” Typically it isn’t the mainstream usage of the term “contemplation,” but I feel I’ve taken lessons from contemplation and they affect me so that I am starting to have that same disposition even while active.

Have you checked out any mystical texts such as Cloud of the Unknowing by an anonymous author like 700 years ago, or “Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? Others have their favorites too but I hear a hunger for you to go deeper and all of these are good ways.

About the Cloud: even the author says the book isn’t for everyone, but it just might speak to you. Translations vary; I read the William Johnston translation myself.

Alan
 
AlanFromWichita said:
I’m also convinced there is an "active Have you checked out any mystical texts such as Cloud of the Unknowing by an anonymous author like 700 years ago, or “Dark Night of the Soul” by St. John of the Cross? Others have their favorites too but I hear a hunger for you to go deeper and all of these are good ways.

About the Cloud: even the author says the book isn’t for everyone, but it just might speak to you. Translations vary; I read the William Johnston translation myself.

Alan
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Yes, I have had the Cloud of Unknowing. I may go get that for my Nook. I have had and given up so many books etc. over time with moves and such. It is nice to have the ereader where I can store stuff important to me in a small package. The nice thing is that I know those books reside in libraries here and there. Not evangelism exactly but . . .🙂

I have read a bio of St. John of the Cross, and have either read Dark Night or Ascent of Mt.Carmel. I took a seminar/class on one (the one that is imcomplete) by a Carmelite monk some years ago. I have always felt somewhat drawn to Carmelite spirituality.

Recently am reading Catholicism - I find the ideas profound and very much in keeping with some of the earlier reading/study I have done.

Thanks Alan
 
HonoraDominum said:
Okay, not being very mindful - just noticed you had mentioned you’re praying a Morning Offering. :doh2:

Something else that I do to pray always is to turn my inner monologue into a prayer to God. Instead of thinking the issues and stresses and happinesses of the day in my head, I turn it around and tell it to God. “Lord, thank you for bringing my attention to the car in front of me who just slammed on their brakes so I didn’t rear end them. I’ve got so much at work to do today, Lord, so please give me the strength to do my vocation well. Lord, I’ve noticed my mind dwelled on the outfit of the person at morning Mass a lot today. Please grant me the grace of humility so that I can not be so judgmental of others. Lord, thank you for the smell of Earl Grey Tea.” That kind of thing.
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YES, yes and yes. That inner monologue is kind of what I meant by being mindful - an awareness that God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit are always with us as we move through our day and night. It is so important to me to continue to nurture my family, DH and the kids, sister and brother. I have been given the time to “be apart” and continue to do retreats from time to time, but it seems important to reach out and do things now as a kind of offering to them and offering up to God. It feels to me as if my inner and outer being have moments of being really integrated. Then I go blow it by getting snippy about some unimportant thing. Ah well.
 
Simple:

Jesus Christ Son Of God Have Mercy on Me a Sinner.

repete when you have a second you are not doing anything else

Jesus Mary I love You, Save Souls.

repete over and over until you have said it a million time, then

repete again

once you get in the habit these will come automatically, there are dozens of other short quotes, pray unceasingly
 
On retreat once, one of the Nuns was in a right tizz-waz. “What’s up, Sister?” I asked. “Oh dear, I haven’t done my three hours this morning!” I thought, Oh boy, I’m blessed: the Lord only expects a half-hour of prime time each morning. from me." My personal way of praying (I’m not advocating this in any way) is just to sit there and BE with the Lord. No bothering Him with petitions, no distracting my own mind with readings and singing. Just BE. Bloomin’ difficult sometimes as days might pass before He says something. Once I took French leave, “sorry Lord but I have a lot to do in the garden.” He said, mildly, “Ian, an hour with Me helping you in the garden will accomplish more than you can do in a week!”😛 That helped me to be AWARE of the Lord whatever I’m doing. When a bird bursts into song, “I hear You, Lord!”🙂
 
For “through the Holy Spirit every soul is quickened, and through its purification, it is exalted and illumined by the Triune Unity in a Holy mystery.” The Holy Spirit Himself settles in our souls, and this occupation of our souls by Him, the All-Ruling, and this coexistence of our spirit with His One Trinity, is granted only through the diligent acquiring, on our part, of the Holy Spirit, which prepares, in our soul and body, the throne for the coexistence of God the All-Creator with our spirit, by the immutable word of God: “And I will walk among you and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (Lev. 26:12).

fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/seraphim_e.htm#n23

peace
 
  1. He looks at me I look at him
  2. silence
  3. smiling more
  4. the Jesus prayer
  5. saying Jesus or Mary
Shalom
God bless
 
grasscutter said:
How about… if you’re doing the dishes, offer your work for the holy souls in purgatory - when driving, offer your safe trip for a sick relative - when showering, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for your health, etc. You get the point. If we take even the most mundane activity and make it meaningful (either in petition or thanksgiving), we are making our life a prayer. That is, praying constantly!
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what i was about to say 👍
u can make your ordinary deeds as continuous prayer
 
When I was a schoolboy I started the habit of a lifetime by begining my day with the following:

Good Morning Lord,
Thank you for everything,
In all things thy will be done,
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (All to the greater glory of God).

That way I dedicate my day to Our Lord and my day becomes a prayer.
 
I try for a chaplet/rosary daily, keep a rosary bracelet in my purse to use when I’m in my car usually in the morning, short morning prayer when I wake up, nighttime daily readings using iBreviary, meditation book or Bible with my kids, and just sometimes kneeling down at night and praying/talking to God, nothing fancy. Prayerful life is so personal - and I’m still developing it.
 
This may not pertain to you but for students it will. The Jesuits motto is ad majorem Dei gloriam (for the great glory of God). Jesuits students used too (some still do) but the initials on top of class assignments and papers AMDG as a way of glorifying God and offering up their work. I just now started putting AMDG at the top of my papers and find it really helpful throughout the school day knowing that all I do even if it is common remedial tasks it glorifies God.
 
A wonderful book I read many years ago on the subject comes to mind, and I recommend reading it.

The book is, “The Way of the Pilgrim, And the Pilgrim Makes His Way.”

It’s the story of an orthox peasant in Russia, who had a handicap, which kept him from working. He question St. Paul’s words, " to pray unceasingly." This bothered him and he at first thought it was impossible, but he decides that he would set out on a cross country Pilgrimage, seeking out the spiritual masters of his time.

So, he visits monastery after monaster, parish after parish, asking how to pray without ceasing.

The first Abbot teaches him the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.” He’s told to say the prayer using his rosary beads, 500 times per day. So he does so. The next monastary, the Abbot tells him the same, except to add to it and say 1000 Jesus Prayers, per day.

Eventually, he’s praying the prayer, without thought, and it becomes part of his existence. But more happens because as he becomes profecient sayinng the prayer, he’s told that it’s not the words he should be focused on, but God who dwells within. He’s taught to pray in the presence of God, who dwells within, and when he becomes aware that he has become distracted in his thoughts, to just return to the prayer and focus of his attention, God dwelling within.

He eventually is blessed with the gift of contemplation.

Jim
 
You pray constantly by being in love with God. Remember the first time you fell in love? It wasn’t hard to think about that person day and night, was it? It was just a natural consequence of being in love. Fall more deeply in love with God and it won’ t be so hard to think about Him all the time. (It might also help to remember that He thinks about you all the time.)
 
Cara_Serrano said:
You pray constantly by being in love with God. Remember the first time you fell in love? It wasn’t hard to think about that person day and night, was it? It was just a natural consequence of being in love. Fall more deeply in love with God and it won’ t be so hard to think about Him all the time. (It might also help to remember that He thinks about you all the time.)
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A beautiful, beautiful answer, Cara. Decades ago I prayed, "Lord I’m having difficuty truly obeying Your First Commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God…” Over the next several months I noticed little things happening to me. Eventually it kicked in: the Lord was showing me how much HE loved ME - FIRST! It was easy to respond.🙂
 
Good question! I suffer from not doing enough (hardly any) in my prayer / spiritual daily life. Upon awakening, I sit up - make the Sign of the Cross and say the Morning Offering. While not excusing me from doing more, that prayer covers the whole day’s actions - offering them to God. I also say, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” (think I learned that prayer on this board.) I then say a brief “Eternal Rest…” prayer for the deceased. This, I do every day - before leaving my bedside. I tried at the beginning of Lent to at least do something special each day - whether a Rosary or Rosary of the Holy Wounds - something “extra” - but I’ve failed to keep it up. While I’m not doing enough, I feel that The Morning Offering says it all - offering “my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day” - covers so much and shows that Our Lord is the first One we think of, despite the distractions of daily life.
And don’t forget to make the Sign of the Cross as you go to sleep at night, too - something acknowledging your day begins and ends with Our Lord. Please, God, help us to do more!
 
Buddhist time and motion study engineers came up with a masterful ergonomic answer to constant prayer: the prayer wheel. One spin and a thousand prayers go up. And then the ultimate in ergonomics: the prayer flag. Let the wind do the work!!!😃 Sorry Lord, I makea da joke; thank you for making me born Catholic.:signofcross:
 
IanGE said:
Buddhist time and motion study engineers came up with a masterful ergonomic answer to constant prayer: the prayer wheel. One spin and a thousand prayers go up. And then the ultimate in ergonomics: the prayer flag. Let the wind do the work!!!😃 Sorry Lord, I makea da joke; thank you for making me born Catholic.:signofcross:
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Oops, at first I thought you were being sincere. I have taken information from other religions, integrated it into what I know about Catholicism, physics, and other disciplines, and applied engineering principles to contemplation. Thus I have been able to increase my readiness for God’s healing. I don’t say I got God to decide earlier whether to heal me. I got myself ready earlier to become a vessel capable of receiving new gifts from Him.

Some people say this can’t be done but they are looking at statistics. I’m looking at processes, function, (name removed by moderator)ut and output in two case studies; that of mine and that of my wife’s. Designing or achiving that rare goal that some people think only happens to the lucky actually makes one feel pretty lucky.

Alan
 
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