How to pray when busy?

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mathematoons

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My life has just become super-busy–at work (new boss, longer hours), on the commute bus (work-related exams to study for), and at home (more stuff than I care to list). This puts a serious time constraint on prayer time, and I need help.

So, here is my question: How do you manage to pray when there’s little time? I want to be able to pray (including devotions such as the Rosary) and read the Bible, Catechism, and spiritual classics. How do you fit these into a busy schedule?
 
The answer is simple time management. At the start of each week plan out what you’ll be doing each hour of the day. Then use those times that aren’t spoken for for prayer and for any other activities that are needful but that you’re behind on.

Speaking as someone who has had a full schedule before, I know there’s much that can keep you from giving full attention to meditation, and that even making great efforts to pray can lead to a distressing vacancy of mind. The answer is to focus on spiritual reading. St Francis de Sales advised in a letter to religious to “use books when you find your soul weary; that is to say, read a little and then meditate, then again read a little and meditate, till the end of your half hour. Mother [St] Teresa [of Avila] thus acted in the beginning, and said that she found it a very good plan for herself. And since we are speaking in confidence, I will add that I also have tried it myself and found it good for me.”

Particularly when we have a great deal to do, spiritual reading is, I’ve found, perhaps the most necessary form of prayer, as it is mostly through this that God speaks to us. We need that in periods like this.
 
Just start by talking to God about anything and everything.
 
Well, recently a sister had came to our class. You know, prayer could take as little as three seconds. When you wake up or before you start your routine, three seconds: “Help me, God!” And then after the day is over, three more seconds: “Thank you, God!” 🙂
 
Pray 3 times a day by saying Grace at every meal.
Then contemplate on things as you eat, or read
from the CCC or the Bible as you eat.

Your busy life will ease up after a while
and you can return to more prayers then.
:tiphat:
 
I just wrote about this the other day. Here is a very clear answer from the Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena (quoted by Blosius):

“The holy desire of the soul, that is to say, good-will, is a continual prayer, because it has the power of prayer. And, whatsoever man does for the love of God and of his neighbour, may be called prayer, since love is accounted as prayer.

Good-will and pious affections should, however, at certain seasons and hours, be raised to Me by actual devotion. Know, daughter, that the soul that perseveres in humble and faithful prayer, attains to all virtue.”
 
mathematoons said:
My life has just become super-busy–at work (new boss, longer hours), on the commute bus (work-related exams to study for), and at home (more stuff than I care to list). This puts a serious time constraint on prayer time, and I need help.

So, here is my question: How do you manage to pray when there’s little time? I want to be able to pray (including devotions such as the Rosary) and read the Bible, Catechism, and spiritual classics. How do you fit these into a busy schedule?
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Our modern lives are so busy it is a wonder we ever fit everything in.

For me I start my day with the sign of the cross and pray in the shower whilst I am getting ready for the day. I have gotten into the habit of talking to God and singing in my head to God throughout my day. When I am driving my car I am praying,when I doing chores I am praying. The quality of the prayers, however short are what matters most. Remember God already knows our heart.
God bless you
 
Start the day with a Morning Offering, then if you cannot manage short prayers like grace before lunch or while getting ready, then offer aspirations throughout the day. Aspirations like “Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls!”, or “My Jesus, mercy!” are very short and easy to remember, plus they carry indulgences with them.
 
mathematoons said:
My life has just become super-busy–at work (new boss, longer hours), on the commute bus (work-related exams to study for), and at home (more stuff than I care to list). This puts a serious time constraint on prayer time, and I need help.

So, here is my question: How do you manage to pray when there’s little time? I want to be able to pray (including devotions such as the Rosary) and read the Bible, Catechism, and spiritual classics. How do you fit these into a busy schedule?
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I can relate to how you feel and someone posted “time management” is the key and I agree. For me, if it doesn’t get written down, it doesn’t get done.

Make a list what you would like to accomplish for each day of the week. Keep it simple in the beginning so you don’t get overwhelmed and just add 1 new thing until it becomes a habit. Don’t worry about perfection because that is not the kind of prayer God wants. He just wants your heart and even just your desire to be more in communion with Our Lord is a gift from Him - Praise God that your heart and mind were open.

As for your list, perhaps you know that on Fridays at 3:00 you will have maybe even if it is only 5-15 minutes pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and offer it up for someone you know that God will increase their faith or if you like praying the Rosary pray 1 mystery.

One thing that I did do that has helped me stay focused thru out the day is to start the day with praise and worship of our amazing God. So I wake up an hour early (you may want to start with 15 minutes and then work your way up) I grab a cup of coffee, my Bible, during Lent and Advent I pray the Liturgy of the Hours so that is always a good way to start or even finish the day, and sit in the Presence of Our Lord. I always open the shade to the window and watch the sunrise. Sometimes I just sit in awe and wonder - other times I may just read the Bible or read a devotional. I find it funny that the devotional always can apply to an area in my life. I pray some other prayers daily like the little crown of Mary devotion, I do a spiritual adoption for priests so I pray for the priest that is also praying for me, sometimes I use my own words and our traditional Catholic prayers for the souls in purgatory or for my own family and friends and neighbors. When I drive in the car, I play Christian contemporary music and I can praise God as I drive and sing - and you’ll be amazed at how thru using your voice, your singing voice will improve and you don’t sound half bad. Some people like to pray the Rosary while they drive. Do something that glorifies Him with whatever you are comfortable doing.

Have fun with this great gift that God has given to us -
 
mathematoons said:
My life has just become super-busy–at work (new boss, longer hours), on the commute bus (work-related exams to study for), and at home (more stuff than I care to list). This puts a serious time constraint on prayer time, and I need help.

So, here is my question: How do you manage to pray when there’s little time? I want to be able to pray (including devotions such as the Rosary) and read the Bible, Catechism, and spiritual classics. How do you fit these into a busy schedule?
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go for a walk every morning before sunrise, leave all electronic things at home.
 
You probably could finish at least one Rosary on the commute bus. You do not have to have the Rosary beads in hand. I often pray Rosary mentally with my fingers whenever and wherever I can. That is how many days I manage to pray all the four Mysteries.
 
Keep it simple – Maybe the Morning Offering when you wake?

Or pray the Angelus three time a day, when you wake, at lunchtime and then when you get home.

If you’re commuting in your own car, and have a CD player, get a Rosary CD and pray along with it as you travel.

If you have a daily Missal, you could read the next day’s readings every night before you go to bed.

For best results, pick ONE thing and do it every day for a month. Don’t try to do all the suggestions you like at the same time.
 
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