I Want to Strengthen my Prayer Life

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Craig_W

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This appeal to the Catholic faithful is for your kind and wise advice to one who is seeking to learn to strengthen and improve his prayer life. Looking back, I know my prayer life has been weak and without guidance from those who have a strong prayer life. I have the time and desire to devote more attention to prayer but need your help. I own the Christian Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours prayer book, but don’t know how to use it or if I actually should be using it. Please, to those who are able and willing, give me your wise advice.

Craig
 
Hi Craig, if it is a yearning for perfection and deep piety, this blog may help.
alphonsianum.blogspot.com/

Preparation For Death is one of St Alphonsus’ ascetical works. If it’s something that catches your interest, go to the link below and bookmark it, scoll down to the bottom and scroll up to follow the blog entries from day one. There is a “newer posts” link at the bottom of each page. Again, you will have to start at the bottom of each page to follow each entry.

alphonsianum.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-05-01T20%3A25%3A00%2B01%3A00&max-results=50

No doubt it will strengthen ones prayer life 🙂
 
Craig_W said:
This appeal to the Catholic faithful is for your kind and wise advice to one who is seeking to learn to strengthen and improve his prayer life. Looking back, I know my prayer life has been weak and without guidance from those who have a strong prayer life. I have the time and desire to devote more attention to prayer but need your help. I own the Christian Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours prayer book, but don’t know how to use it or if I actually should be using it. Please, to those who are able and willing, give me your wise advice.
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I used to pray with that regularly but I found my irritation with the clumsiness of the language was becoming too much of a distraction so I switched to the Rosary. (Historically, Liturgy of the Hours was for clergy and those in religious life, while the Rosary was for lay people.) While I made the right decision for me, different people will respond differently to various forms of prayer. It might be a matter of trying different formats (approved by the Church) and discovering which works well for you.

More important than the type of prayer, is your consistency in prayer. Set aside time for it in your daily routine and pray.
 
Craig_W said:
I own the Christian Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours prayer book, but don’t know how to use it or if I actually should be using it. Please, to those who are able and willing, give me your wise advice.

Craig
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I’m not sure why you shouldn’t be using Christian Prayer, but it is perfectly fine for you to use. While it may traditionally be the prayer of priests and religious, but it is the prayer of the whole Church. Even if prayed alone, it is quite literally praying with the whole Church.

As for how to pray it, the best guide I’ve found is here. Click on the “Discovering Prayer” link. You will have to give them your e-mail, but I’ve never gotten any spam from them, so don’t worry. It includes both directions, with page numbers for the various books, as well as a specific example of exactly what to say when. 👍
 
Craig, one way to increase your prayer life is to take the focus off of yourself and become a prayer warrior for those most in need. Praying for those who cannot makes your effort very precious and purposeful. It helps you keep focused on prayer time and making prayer time.
I would suggest three groups, aborted babies killed in abortion, babies still in the womb, and the souls of purgatory. If not all three chose one and make it your goal to ensure upon you death, they will stand with you before JESUS and proclaim the good work of prayer you made on their behalf
And keep it simple with the rosary and there are several prayers for the souls in purgatory…
 
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