I don't feel the same while praying

[Dnorris404]

I used to pray and completely connect with God and sometimes even cry but i stopped praying for a while and when i pray it feels like i forgot how to… Any suggestions on how to return my prayer life back to where it was?

 

[kmuestwin]

Try the rosary!

Most people go through a spiritual dryness where prayers don’t bring the comfort that they once brought. Work through it and continue praying. Remember, many Saints also had this issue. It’s important to pray unceasingly! Pray even though it’s difficult and don’t give up.

I’ll pray for you too!

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Consolations are often withdrawn after a time to draw the communicant in prayer upward to Him. It happens in order to show us concretely whether we pray for love of God or for the pleasure He gives. When we know we should pray without receiving in return but we are upset at not receiving, we realize we need God’s help in doing what is beyond us and our ability. This is our role, to allow God to work in us. “The Fire Within” by Fr. Thomas Dubay is a good book on prayer.

 

[EmeraldWings]

the best advice i can give you on this subject is simply to read this - gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=21360521
it’s by Saint Alphonsus, and it will help you to understand what’s worrying you, plus explain how to pray and what prayer is and much more.

the one thing we should be aware of with prayer is, it is always meant as a means, directly or indirectly, to strengthen our relationship with God, and to give Him the praise, honor, adoration, and glory that He deserves,
but even though we pray for those things, prayer is ultimately for our own benefit, since God does not “benefit” anything from us, because He is perfect, and everything we have is from Him, so we cannot really give Him anything that will “help” Him, but He still requires that we seek Him and speak to Him, simply because that is the way that is best for us, for many many reasons, which you will read about in that link i gave you.

but really, if we are going to pray and seek God, it should be for love of Him and not for anything we would get from it, we should be willing to pray and converse with God no matter how we feel, even if we were dry and miserable in prayer for 50 years(but don’t worry, that’s not very likely)
the best thing to do in order to grow in the spiritual life and in your love for God, is simply to try and live a good Catholic life as Christ and the church has taught us - practice your virtues, frequent the sacraments, read good Catholic books(such as the lives and writings of the saints) pray even when you don’t feel like it, follow the commandments, obey the church, mortify yourself, do penances, and carry your cross daily, as Christ says “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
the key is, not to reach a certain point in your prayer or spiritual life, but to continue growing continuously in those things as long as you live, not to seek anything temporary in yourself or in the world, but to seek only what is eternal.

well, not sure that helps, but whether it does or not, make sure to read that book, cause i’m sure that will help.
take care.

 

[Monica4316]

I used to pray and completely connect with God and sometimes even cry but i stopped praying for a while and when i pray it feels like i forgot how to… Any suggestions on how to return my prayer life back to where it was?

The advice that was given to me, is don’t evaluate your prayers based on your feelings, just focus on loving God as much as you can (giving to HIm, rather than receiving consolations) and repentance and humility. Just pray from your heart, but don’t think that a good prayer is all about the feelings, it is not. The Saints often felt dryness in prayer. However this could also be due to unrepentance or a decrease in love for God, that’s why faith, humility, and love are all things that we should continually focus on It might also help to go to Adoration, and to pray to our Blessed Mother, ie the Rosary! God bless