I struggle with free prayer

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annoellyn

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I’m hoping someone can lend me some advise or perspective on this.

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

Do you think this will get better, or is anyone else similar?
 
It does get better. I used to really, really struggle to just pray freely. I just said the formal prayers for a long time but slowly I taught myself to relax more and just pray freely. Try and relax before you pray, sit somewhere comfortable and quiet. Read some of the Bible.

Your problem seems to be you think you’re prayers aren’t good enough or you’re doing it ‘wrong’. Important lesson: there is no right or wrong way to pray. Whatever you say, if it’s in a slightly jumbled mess or a sonnet then God still knows your heart. Sometimes when I pray, it’s very eloquent and well-worded, other times it’s just like a stream of consciousness.

You could also try going to Eucharistic Adoration. I find that just being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament facilitates prayer very well. Another option is to find a more structured form of prayer that still allows for free prayer you may find this easier. Methods such as Lectio Divina of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola may be helpful to you.

I’ll keep you in my prayers, good luck and welcome home! 🙂
 
I struggle too with the God that I fear but, I am so comfortable with the Jesus who is my friend. I stick with the formal prayers to God and, when I go to Adoration (which could help you in this respect) I pray freely to Jesus, sit quietly and let Him look at me, tell him how much I love Him, etc. But, like you, I am hesitatnt to communicate freely with God The Father.

I will pray for you and you can pray for the rest of us who, like you, struggle with our communications to our Father.

Good luck and God bless you.
 
Realize how much He loves you and waits to hear from you personally. Scripture tells us to cast our burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you…He longs to hear your heart cry…99.999% of my prayer is petition and intercession from my heart…Pray intimately like your talking to your closest best friend…Rather than feel embarrassed, think on how much He is wanting to her from you…God Bless…Open up your heart before Him, God is a refuge for us… Once you break free you realize how you pray with out ceasing, walking before the Lord listening as the Holy Spirit brings needs to your spirit. Prayer just flows from the heart.
 
Fr Dubay’s wonderful book “The Prayer Primer” is such a treasure.
 
annoellyn said:
I’m hoping someone can lend me some advise or perspective on this.

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

Do you think this will get better, or is anyone else similar?
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Hi Annoellyn
My suggestion is why not visit the prayer intentions forum.Take a look at the prayers us prayer warriors use to pray for others,some formal and others personal.Then join with us in praying for others and you will soon feel more comfortable ‘talking’ to God in personal prayer and also helping others in their great need by praying for them.You do not have to commit to being a prayer warrior and praying for others everyday but it is such a good way to develop your prayer life.

God bless
 
God already knows what is in your heart, so struggling to “say things right” is usually an attempt to be as poetic and beautiful as the Authors of the Hail Mary, etc.were. God just waits for you to speak to Him in your most familiar voice and persona, for He knows you more intimately than anyone. Ramble on, cry, speak of your worst fears, or your anxieties, or even a simple “I just love You”. You are unique to God, and He wants you to value your uniqueness and seek Him out as you are. Good luck, it will improve, believe me.
 
annoellyn said:
I’m hoping someone can lend me some advise or perspective on this.

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

Do you think this will get better, or is anyone else similar?
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Take what you’ve written above and do this …

Lord,

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This is prayer.
 
Prayer is the raising of the heart and mind to God. Just put yourself mentally in His Presence and be still in silent meditation. Words are not essential.
 
Prayer is just a conversation with God.

Get used to offering little short prayers. For example, let’s say you’re running late to an important meeting but you make it on time. You can say a simple, “Lord, please let me make it on time.”

Or let’s say someone does something nice for you, then you might say “Thank you Lord for this wonderful friend.”

Or you might see a beautiful horizon and say, “What a beautiful world, you created oh God.”

Once you get into the habit of these short prayers, you will feel more comfortable talking/praying to God.
 
annoellyn said:
I’m hoping someone can lend me some advise or perspective on this.

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

Do you think this will get better, or is anyone else similar?
Click to expand...
I have a lot to learn, but I think it will get better. 😉
I grew up praying ONLY free prayers because I thought that the written ones were “vain repitition”. When I was older and trying to stumble back into Christianity, “free prayer” no longer seemed possible because I thought I would do it wrong (presuming that there even was a right way to have a conversation with a deity or a force) - I might accidentally call down a curse on myself, or I would send it to the wrong address and end up just talking out loud to nobody.
Formal prayer allowed me to become familiar with honoring God and attempting to bring myself into, or to be open to, the Presence. Formal prayer also helps provide a reverent foundation or structure for the free prayers; I have gotten into the habit of beginning with a short formal prayer that helps me to focus reverently on the Presence of God, of His terrible holiness along with His wonderfully loving intentions toward those who seek Him. I feel that, once I’ve started building on the formal, I can then say free prayers; I don’t feel quite so lost and embarrassed. 😊
 
annoellyn said:
I’m hoping someone can lend me some advise or perspective on this.

I am currently going through RCIA at the moment and am also working on becoming closer to God through prayer. However, I mostly pray formal prayers such as Hail Mary, Our Father, Gertrude’s prayer, etc. I meditate on every sentence so they don’t fall into a repetitious mess. Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I literally get so embarrassed my cheeks get RED (I checked, lol) and i get hot and I stay this way for a good 45 minutes after I’m done praying.

Do you think this will get better, or is anyone else similar?
Click to expand...
It WILL get better, in the meantime, don’t worry about what you say to God. The Holy Spirit intervenes for us when we have no words. I find that my time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament works all these petty worries and fears right out - Jesus speaks to me and I listen, and sometimes I respond, but usually I just try to be present and open my heart to His heart. Try it!

Oh, and WELCOME HOME!!!

:love::extrahappy::bounce:
 
annoellyn said:
I’m . Anyway, the thing I struggle with is free prayer, or prayers where you just talk to God. I can usually get one sentence out and then feel like I’m messing up. I ?
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there is nothing to mess up
it is just a rambling conversation with God
there are no rules, so there is nothing you can possibly do wrong during such a conversation.

welcome home

ps. there is also no obligation to try for any “free prayer” unless you feel moved to say something to God that is not part of one of the formal prayers.

Nor is there any obligation to stick to formal prayers. You can use them if they help you express what you want to say to God, or you can use your own words. So do what works for you. And that may change from day to day, so be it.
 
Wow, each and every response made such a huge difference in how I was thinking.

Truelife - that’s a wonderful idea! I will definitely be implementing this as it is also a great idea for remembering God in all life’s interactions and events, whether ordinary or not.

TBCrawford - I will have to do that; I usually just see formal prayer but I will have to look closer for informal prayers. Thanks for the suggestion.

Castello - I will certainly look into that book; I’ve been looking for a good one to assist me with prayer so I’m really glad you mentioned one!

Thanks so so much to everyone who responded; you have no idea how much more at ease I feel. Again, thanks so much!
 
TrueLight said:
Prayer is just a conversation with God.

Get used to offering little short prayers. For example, let’s say you’re running late to an important meeting but you make it on time. You can say a simple, “Lord, please let me make it on time.”

Or let’s say someone does something nice for you, then you might say “Thank you Lord for this wonderful friend.”

Or you might see a beautiful horizon and say, “What a beautiful world, you created oh God.”

Once you get into the habit of these short prayers, you will feel more comfortable talking/praying to God.
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This is great advice!! I love spontaneous prayers like that.

What I also have done is just think about all the things that you are thankful for. “Dear Lord, thank you for Catholicism. Thank you for my parents. Thank you for love. Thank you for the food I eat. Thank you for this life. Thank you for the friends who support me so. Thank you for being born.” Just be sincere and think about all the blessings you have recieved!!

God is with you. Don’t worry. He knows your heart and He loves you!
With love in Christ,
Sarah
 
See how prayer operates/flows just like these responses. They flow from from the writers hand just naturally from experience. I had a pretty radical conversion experience on a hot night in Aug.73, un churched and then into the kingdom of light. It was pretty cool to know how much I was loved and that I could instantaneously respond to that love through prayer. Another that was brought up is praise and thanksgiving lifestyle and even in the midst of trial and tribulation when it is more needed at a time when we are more less likely…The prayer time and listening is a key to a deep and abiding walk with the Lord…Let the prayer and praise flow.

Oh Lord thank you for each one on this thread.
Help us in the way we each need to draw closer to you and encourage each other as we see the day of your return drawing closer…Help us to live in Your light and reflect You in our words,deeds, actions and thought life. Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness and new mercies each morning. We give You praise, glory and adoration in the matchless name of our Savior Jesus. Amen
 
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