I don't know how to pray

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Benignus

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As you can deduce from the title of this post, I don’t know how to pray anymore. I feel like my prayers are just my ramblings to God, and I am the one who does all the talking. Then, when I try to listen for His voice, I hear things in my head, but I think that it is just my imagination. When I say “hear things”, I don’t mean voices or anything. I’m not schizophrenic, I can assure you. It’s just that sometimes I think I put words in God’s mouth, so that God will tell me what I want to hear. I am really confused. I definitely see prayer as a vital necessity to Christian life, and I want to give it a prominent place in my life. However, I really don’t know how to pray. I pray the Rosary, and I have enjoyed this. Is it ok to use prayers written by saints, as long as the intentions of our heart are right, and it’s not just a mechanical repetition of words?
 
You answered one of your questions. What is you intention? Your intention will make up for what you lack, I suppose. It is one of the things God sees in prayer. Intention is important.

Uhm, have you ever tried Eucharistic Adoration? I cant’ really relate to what you’re experiencing but sometimes, it’s nice to have a visual when praying and nothing comes close to seeing Jesus face to face in Adoration. It helps me with my prayers.

What you also need to develop is a relationship with Jesus (if you don’t have one already). A relationship will help you on how to converse with God.

And let me tell you one other thing. This dilemma you’re experiencing is quite normal.
I hope I helped.
 
I USUALLY GO OUTSIDE AND BRING A CHALICE WITH ME. NOW IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT A CHALICE IS, THEN YOU CAN BRING A PIPE OR A JOINT. BUT THEN SIT DOWN, LIGHT UP YOUR HIGH GRADE HERB AND BLAZE UNTIL YOU FEEL NICE AND IRIE. THEN YOU SHOULD MAKE YOUR PRAYERS WITH CONCENTRATION AND DEVOTION, AND READ PSALM OR YOUR CHAPTER IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY. AFTER YOUR PRAY SMOKE MORE MARIJUANA UNTIL YOUR THROAT HURTS, THAT MEANS YOUR DOING GOOD. GIVE IT A TRY. DON’T BE AFRAID. EVERYONE’S DOING IT. GANJAH WILL LIBERATE THOSE BOYS AND GIRLS WHO DONT WANT TO ACCEPT THEIR DIVINE BIRTHRIGHT AS KING AND QUEENS OF THIS EARTH. TELL YOUR FRIENDS. GANJAH GANJAH GANJAH GANJAH MARIJUANA I SMOOKE IT I SMOKE IT I LOVE IT GANJAH GANJAH COOKIES AND BROWNIES GANJA TEA AND HERBALS HERB HERB HERB
 
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Benignus:
As you can deduce from the title of this post, I don’t know how to pray anymore. I feel like my prayers are just my ramblings to God, and I am the one who does all the talking. Then, when I try to listen for His voice, I hear things in my head, but I think that it is just my imagination. When I say “hear things”, I don’t mean voices or anything. I’m not schizophrenic, I can assure you. It’s just that sometimes I think I put words in God’s mouth, so that God will tell me what I want to hear. I am really confused. I definitely see prayer as a vital necessity to Christian life, and I want to give it a prominent place in my life. However, I really don’t know how to pray. I pray the Rosary, and I have enjoyed this. Is it ok to use prayers written by saints, as long as the intentions of our heart are right, and it’s not just a mechanical repetition of words?
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Dearest Friend

There is NO wrong way to pray…it is the raising up of your heart mind and spirit to God our Father’s heart mind and spirit, to His son and to the Holy Spirit. It is your thoughts, your heart, your love of Him communicated in a conversation that we call ‘prayer’. In this conversation you can say anything you want to God with reverance and love. Try reading a posting I have made in Catholic Prayers…Catholic Prayers. It is supposed to be used when praying before the Blessed Sacrament (Quarter of an Hour before the Blessed Sacrament) as a prompt to stimulate your thoughts in prayer, but you can use it anytime and it greatly helps me, see what you think.

Also if you are experiencing this at present as long as any prayer is said in love, reverance and good intention you can offer any of the ‘set’ Catholic prayers, you can also offer your daily work as prayer, such as mowing the lawn or the employment you do, in offerance for whatever intention you have, sometimes you can sit silent in the presence of or with the Lord, this may seem lazy, but it isn’t, it is an act of love and you can offer that time in His presence, whether you are in Church or at home for a special intention. You can even say to the Lord, take a walk in the country with me or through my town and offer this as prayer to Him. Even your contemplation on the Lord’s life is prayer and you can offer this also. As for what you call your ‘ramblings’ God our Father is very pleased to hear them, He wants to hear every detail of every bit of your life so that you invite His hand into all of your life to mould it for your good and sanctification and the good of those you ask Him to help, these words you say to Him are said with LOVE and this is what matters, not the presumed idea that you have to choose the right words, YOUR words ARE the RIGHT words dear friend.

What is most important to remember, dear friend, is that Jesus and God know your heart and know what you intend even before you offer it to Him, so never worry, just be content to be with Him and offer yourself as you are, He loves you and you are not meant to struggle, He is there to walk with you and you with Him.

As for the voice you feel inside your mind, this may well be God’s prompting to you, or your conscience, either way, if it moves you to the good and to God then that is all well and good, the main thing to remember is to not require the supernatural in this way because you love Him without any sign to show you Him that is hidden from you. There is nothing wrong with you and I don’t think for one minute you have a mental illness, you dear friend are being drawn closer to God your Father and you have to trust Him in this and let Him lead you. We always think we HAVE to be doing something, some deep prayer or some large act, but sometimes dear friend we just need to be in His presence and love much.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa xxx
 
Hey Nick: Teresa9 and Samurai are right on. Something that has always helped me is telling God how difficult it is for me to communicate with Him and telling Him how much I want to be in dialog with Him. I have always felt His embrace and peace in the answer to that prayer. In John 17 Jesus is talking with His Father about how He wants us to be one with them just as He and the Father are one. How much closer can you get than that? Peace!
 
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Benignus:
As you can deduce from the title of this post, I don’t know how to pray anymore. I feel like my prayers are just my ramblings to God, and I am the one who does all the talking. Then, when I try to listen for His voice, I hear things in my head, but I think that it is just my imagination. When I say “hear things”, I don’t mean voices or anything. I’m not schizophrenic, I can assure you. It’s just that sometimes I think I put words in God’s mouth, so that God will tell me what I want to hear. I am really confused. I definitely see prayer as a vital necessity to Christian life, and I want to give it a prominent place in my life. However, I really don’t know how to pray. I pray the Rosary, and I have enjoyed this. Is it ok to use prayers written by saints, as long as the intentions of our heart are right, and it’s not just a mechanical repetition of words?
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Teresa and Catholic Samurai summed it up very well.

You certainly can use prayers written by saints. Many of our prayers that we say are written by the saints.
 
I was thinking about posting a prayer, that I really like, by a saint that I saw on the favorite prayers thread, then I noticed that you were the one that posted the prayer so you probably know the prayer I was thinking of posting.
 
Thank you all for your wonderful responses to my post. I have been greatly strengthened by them. I think up until now I have had the misconception that some prayers, say the Rosary, are better than other prayers, say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I guess I thought that one was more pleasing to God than the other. However, now I see how very wrong I was. You know, sometimes at night I was planning on praying the Rosary, but I am just SO tired. I thought that by not praying the Rosary I was somehow failing God. Now I see that this is not the case. He knows our weaknesses, yet He LOVES us all the more. Now I can truly say with Saint Paul that when I am weak, then I am strong.

:blessyou: :clapping:
 
Hi,
God loves you very much, even when your in a dry spell. Might I suggest a book Pray and Never Lose Heart- The Power of intercession by Sr. Ann Shields, this book was (is) a great help to me. Maybe it's even time you tried a different form of prayer: Eucharistic Adoration is really a big boost to me. Just keep at it and tell God your struggles he will help you, trust in God and you will never be disappointed, God bless you, I'll pray for you.:thumbsup:
 
A trusted Spiritual Director may also help.

God bless you,
Deacon Tony SFO
 
Beginus,

Could it be that you are trying too hard…to get an answer? Relax.

I was told for over 30 years to just talk to God after you had said an Our Father, The Gloria and a Hail Mary. Just talk. I was a “good” Catholic- I could not “just talk”. I may have secretly thought that was acting like a Protestant. I couldn’t do it. I read prepared prayers, etc.

Then a terrible thing happened, I was calling out to God, I started talking to him as if I were talking to my dad. This went on all night.
Just telling Him what I was so worried about, and yes I told Him I was disappointed in Him too.

About 7AM the wind was blowing so hard dust was flying, there was a blue sky. Then I walked out into the alley and asked God if He was still there to give me a sign ( I knew that was wrong!). Well, right above my head was a small bird, working so hard to fly upwind. About 6 feet above me. Then I saw a small white cloud. Then it hit me…God had spoken. That was the ONLY bird in the air! I smiled, started to breathe again and had a good breakfast. I was talking to God as if He were a friend, not as if He was so far away that I couldn’t aproach Him. Take it for what it’s worth. It happened!🙂

Beginus, maybe you should go outside, see God’s creation when you pray. You will have to find your own formula!
 
peace be with you!

most of the time when prayer gets difficult in my life, i realize that I am trying to do all the work. it is “my” prayer. at these times, i just try to stop thinking or “saying my prayers” and just place myself before Him. just put yourself in His presence and gaze lovingnly at Him. Let Him speak to you as you sit in silence. When it gets difficult to pray, try telling Jesus about your struggles. Talk to Him as you would a friend. Tell Him that you are struggling, that you don’t know how to pray, that you don’t know how to speak to Him and ask Him for His help. My experience is that Our Blessed Mother and Her Spouse the Holy Spirit always help me to pray better when I am struggling.
 
There is a book called ;Prayers that avail much’’. Can be puchased at local christian book store.This book will teach you how to pray. 😉
 
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