I want a deeper connection with God

[scapularkid8]

How can I do this while I’m in the midst of the hectic world of a student? I feel like I’m learning great lessons in church, but forget and even don’t know how to apply them to my everyday life. Lately I’ve tried getting into Celtic Spirituality which promotes seeing and praising God in everyday things. Do I just need to start a habit of this because I haven’t been consistent?

 

[LilyM]

I’d say concentrate on your studies at the moment. They’re hardly going to last forever!

Don’t forget God, but remember that you are serving and praising him also by doing as best you can in your daily tasks. Offer every day with all it contains up to him and ask the Holy Spirit and your guardian angel to guide you in all you do.

Leave the more time- and effort-intensive stuff for after graduation :yup:

 

[puzzleannie]

well you will not deepen your connection with God by pursuing a spirituality that worships creation rather than the Creator. If you mean a spirituality that sees the presence of God in all circumstances of life, not just at church or during prayer time, that is another thing altogether. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence is the classic guide to that very beneficial spirituality.

Your current very demanding stressful life will go very much better, you will do better in your studies, personal growth, job, relationships and every area of life if you reorder your priorities and put God first. If you give Him one hour a day–perhaps split between 15 minute morning prayer, say Morning Offering, decade of the rosary, 15 minute evening prayer including brief examination of conscience and act of contrition, and 20-30 minutes sometime during the day praying with scripture (n front of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle if there is a church or chapel nearby, alone of there is not) He will bless the remaining 23 hours and make them more productive, more fruitful and of service to Him.

Everything you do during the day can be prayer if you consecrate your day to Christ through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and do whatever it is for the greater honor and glory of God.

 

[Scottgun]

If you are a student, be a student, and not half-student, half-monk. Of course look into holy orders if you think you have a calling there.

 

[baltobetsy]

I’m sure you pray some kind of morning offering every day. As you move through the day, going from one task to another, renew that offering and do your best to make the work you do (the work of a student) worthy of being offered to God for His honor and glory.

Another thing to do is to set yourself little cues to say a short prayer during the day. For example, when you use the stairs, you might pray with John the Baptist, “He must increase, I must decrease.”

When you answer the phone, have a word with the Holy Spirit first.

When the sky is gorgeous, thank God for the beauty of creation. Seeing the full moon reminds me of the host in Communion, and reminds me to make a spiritual communion.

When you hear a fire engine or ambulance go by with sirens, say a prayer for all involved.

When you get into a car, bus, train or plane, pray for safety - “Keep me safe O God; You are my hope.”

And acts of thanksgiving throughout the day. Thank God for everything from your life and your faith to the fact that there are paper towels in the rest room when you need them.

Greet the Lord in the tabernacle when you pass by a Catholic church, even if you cannot go in. Pray for the unity of Christians when you pass a protestant church.

All of these things take mere seconds, but cumulatively they will keep you in loving conversation with God all day long. I’m sure you’ll think of many more for yourself.

To summarize: 1) Renew your morning offering throughout the day, doing your work the best you can. 2) Aspirations throughout the day. And I would agree with puzzleannie, that you should have a couple of short periods of formal prayer each day as well.

Betsy

 

[scapularkid8]

well you will not deepen your connection with God by pursuing a spirituality that worships creation rather than the Creator.

What I mean by Celtic Spirituality is not the pagan type that most think of when they hear that. It’s the ideas of St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Colombanus, ect, who teach that in every creation God chose to reveal something about Himself that humans do not reveal about Him. They are to be appreciated as artworks of the Father. This way of looking at life also stresses that work can be made into a prayer and offered to God, as well as ‘detachment’ which, as you said, makes you stop and make God your top priority during the day through prayer.