How do you settle down for prayer, or what is your prayer routine?

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Just curious to see what everyone’s prayer routine is… do you do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Or all three? How long do you set set aside? Are you sitting or kneeling? Do you start with a Biblical reading? How long does it take you to “get into” it?
 
I don’t really have a routine…but I do have a new reminder. I just assembled a shrine in a quiet area of my home. Late at night, I go there. Light candles, say my prayers. I have my prayer cards and prayer journal.

The Rosary, I usually pray in my car while driving. (I’m in my car alot) It relaxes me, and I can’t get Catholic Radio 😦 (although I find that I can’t completely concentrate on the Rosary when driving)
 
I hope there are many responses to this - since prayer is so personal, it helps us understand that our many styles and temperaments are really a place of accord, not difference.

Most mornings I wake up early enough to get the better part of an hour for devotions, which breaks down into 20 minute sections, more or less. I sit in a chair the whole time. I start with a gospel reading, and then try to sit with simple openness, without too much thinking about things. I don’t time it, but that comes to about 20 minutes, sometimes less. My mind fidgets out at some point, and then I move on.

The second section is a group of litanies and prayers I’ve gathered that have personal meaning to me, especially in relation to their associated saints. This is my favorite part, so if I wake up too late or have early responsibilities, I only do these. This sections mingles worship, aspiration, and intentions for others, and takes 20 minutes or a little more.

Last I do a simple Rosary, without the actual readings, etc. Just the beads and the Mysteries of the day.

Plenty of times in my life I have not been fortunate enough in my circumstances or disciplined enough personally to have this time. I feel very graced right now that I am usually able to spend it.

I’ve never dedicated another chuck of time during the day or evening. I try to say little prayers or rememberences during the day, but sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.
 
westcoast said:
Just curious to see what everyone’s prayer routine is… do you do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Or all three? How long do you set set aside? Are you sitting or kneeling? Do you start with a Biblical reading? How long does it take you to “get into” it?
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All three. An hour upon waking, (I am a morning person) is set aside for prayer in the morning.

The more one applies the good habit of prayer, the easier it becomes. I have a book called “Divine Intimacy” which has a different “homily” for each day of the year, and then quotes from about two saints for each day. This sets the tone.

For morning and night and evening prayer I am sitting up in bed.
Throughout the day I can be in my car listening to sacred music, or Gregorian chant, or a Rosary CD. I am blessed to be able to go to daily Mass.

Prayer helps my focus in all the decisions I have to make during the day.
 
I’m a young man, and I do not have the discipline to sit for an hour at a time to pray, nor the time. I pray a Rosary every day whenever I can, either in the morning, or the afternoon, or night, whatever. At 3:00 I pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Then, during the day I try (and mostly succeed…mostly) to remember that I am in the presence of God and that Jesus is watching me. I do some small prayers, but I only settle down to pray twice in a day. I read the Bible at nights laying in bed until I go to sleep. I am pretty content with this system, although it would be great if I added more prayer in my life. Here’s hoping for the future :gopray2:
 
My morning prayer is the Morning Offering followed by the Peace Rosary (Apostles’ Creed, 7 Paters, Aves, Glorias).
My evening prayer is the Rosary with my husband, and then we trade off praying extemporaneously (these prayers are for our church, clergy, family, sick, dying, fallen away, etc).
We offer small prayers during the day - before driving anywhere, when we hear a siren, before meals - just to keep us connected to our Lord in all things. If friends ask for prayers, they know we’re going to stop and offer up a Hail Mary for their intention.
Little pieties, yes - but it all keeps us connected to God and to His Church.:gopray2:
 
westcoast said:
Just curious to see what everyone’s prayer routine is… do you do it in the morning, afternoon, or evening? Or all three? How long do you set set aside? Are you sitting or kneeling? Do you start with a Biblical reading? How long does it take you to “get into” it?
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Hi My prayer routine started when I was a baby. My mom and Dad would say prayers before we wento bed. Then as we got older my Mom would stand in the hallway between the bedrooms and together we would say these prayers. The Our Father Hail Mary Glory Be The Apostle’s Creed and The Act of Contrition. We also said a prayer we would pray for Family and friends. and for thanking God for what he has given us. We also prayed for who has died. Iam 41 now and still say those prayers before bed. But now I also pray before I get out bed in the morning to Our Lady of Czestochowa. I pray during the day also asking for God’s help.
God Bless
 
Reflect and try this… let ALL that you do be a prayer 24/7 🙂

You may like to read this…
St Teresa of Avila on Prayer

Where to begin

In chapter 26 of the Way of Perfection, St. Teresa sets about teaching prayer.
  • First, she tells us to begin with the Sign of the Cross. This brings us face to face with God’s mercy and compassion, His relentless search for us.
  • Next, she tells us to say the ‘I confess’ or the Confiteor. This reminds us of who we are before God.
  • Then she says we need a companion – and the Lord Jesus is the very best one to have. So we should picture Him standing beside us lovingly teaching us to say the prayer He gave us, the Our Father. She keeps on telling us to get into the habit of keeping Him close to us. She tells us just to look at Him with eyes of Faith until His presence becomes a part of our prayer and of our lives.
Way of Perfection chapter 26 no.1
“Represent the Lord as close to you and behold how lovingly and humbly He is teaching you. Believe me, you should remain with so good a friend as long as you can. If you grow accustomed to having Him present at your side, and He sees that you do so with love and that you go about striving to please Him, you will not be able – as they say – to get away from Him; He will never fail you; He will help you in all your trials; you will find Him everywhere. Do you think that it’s some small matter to have a friend like this at your side?”

For Teresa, prayer was the way to change the world and she loved to teach it to others. Because she believed so strongly in the global influence of prayer, she recommends repeatedly that we approach prayer with determination and practice it with perseverance.

Extract – taken from ‘St. Teresa: Teacher of Prayer’ by Father Jerome Lantry, Mount Carmel Vol 49 no.2 July – September 2001

Listen to song Speak Lord at
carmelite-seremban.org/Spirituality/article3.html

and Lead Me Guide Me at
carmelite-seremban.org/Spirituality/scapular.html

Love and God bless
 
I’m working on prayer routine right now, always trying to improve and make more time for prayer.

As it is, I will sometimes (probably about 50% of the time) recite the Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Sometimes this is at home, and others it is at the church, before daily Mass. If it’s before Mass, I will also spend fifteen minutes-ish in contemplative prayer. Then Mass, and a bit of prayer of thanksgiving afterwords.

If I say Morning Prayer at home, I usually forget to do any sort of contemplative prayer. So, I try to go to Mass, to get away from the distractions at home.

Every once in a while, if I am not out doing anything, I will attempt to also say Mid-day prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Sometimes this is accompanied by the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

When I’m driving places, I usually pray the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

I try to remember the presence of God throughout the day, and continuously offer up what I am doing.

At night, I will say Evening and Night prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours. This includes an examination of conscience and act of contrition. Afterwords I will spend time in contemplative prayer and petitions and thanksgiving.
 
I usually pray by singing Catholic songs in the morning, when I wake up. I also pray many groups of three Hail Mary’s during the day. I also pray (to myself) before starting eating.

However, my favouritet time of prayer are the 15 minutes (exactly 15 minutes, always) that I spend talking to God everyday, if possible, within a Church. It’s very good. Usually on the afteroon.

I like to read the bible too, usually at night.

Before falling asleep I also usually pray a little bit.
 
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