Ideas for what to include in a personal prayer book?

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Della said:
You can certainly compile such a book but do you know about the Divine Office, which is the daily prayer of the Church? Christian Prayer is a shorter version for lay people: catholicbookpublishing.com/products/100. Or Shorter Christian Prayer: catholicbookpublishing.com/products/103, which would be easier to carry to school. Either one is fine, although Christian Prayer has more content. You can get supplements to help you find which parts you are to pray and when. It’s also good to find someone who is experienced in praying the Office to help you.

While it’s fine to pray devotional prayers, they aren’t part of the liturgies of the Church. And you could get quite bogged down trying to pray so many prayers a day and thus miss the whole point of praying them. 🙂 Devotions are aids to faith, but the Divine Office is practicing the faith as the Church prescribes for us.
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I agree. While the OP’s list is really impressive, I’m wondering why it is necessary to re-invent the wheel?
That’s more of a study program than a prayer book.
I encourage the OP to continue with the project for her own edification, but as far as daily prayer? As Della says. That, plus daily Mass when possible.
Adoration too, if it is available frequently in your area.
God bless and Welcome Home. 🙂
 
ameliepoir said:
Hello all,

I’m a new Catholic and still have a lot to learn about Catholic spirituality and traditions. Recently, I bought a nice leather book and I want to make it a sort of personal prayer guide for daily use. I have a general idea of what to include in it, but I would love suggestions for prayers or other elements that would make good additions to the book. Please note that I don’t have a lot of prayers and habits memorized like many people who were raised in the faith do, so I’m going to include even very basic things. Here’s my plan so far:
  • table of contents
  • 10 commandments
  • beatitudes
  • nicene creed, apostle’s creed
  • rosary guide
    -transcribe short passages from scripture related to mysteries (and maybe some other texts for the extra-scriptural ones? Any suggestions for this?)
  • reconciliation guide, act of contrition
  • liturgical seasons, some feast days and holy days of obligation
  • four seasonal Marian anthems
  • photo of Therese of Lisieux (she is my confirmation saint)
  • prayers and potpourri (I’d like to add to this section in the years to come as I learn and see new things):
    -Our Father, Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, O God, Miraculous Medal Prayer
    -A Novena to St. Therese (any suggestions for this?)
    -Angelus guide
    -poetry, quotes, devotional cards
Thank you in advance for your assistance! God bless
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I have a spiritual journal i write in and one of the things I add are Bible verses.
 
Aspirations/ejaculations, e.g.
My Jesus, mercy!
Jesus, I trust in You!
O Jesus, King of Love, I put my trust in Thy loving mercy!
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Jesus, Mary, I love You! Save souls!
For Thee and for souls!

(I accidentally logged into my old account)
 
Well I would recommend reading what the Catechism says on prayer, and then put some things you find helpful in your prayer book, for example:

“2562 Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays.** If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain [emphasis added]**.”

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm#
 
pianistclare said:
I agree. While the OP’s list is really impressive, I’m wondering why it is necessary to re-invent the wheel?
That’s more of a study program than a prayer book.
I encourage the OP to continue with the project for her own edification, but as far as daily prayer? As Della says. That, plus daily Mass when possible.
Adoration too, if it is available frequently in your area.
God bless and Welcome Home. 🙂
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Thank you!

I didn’t know about the book of Christian Prayer when I first posted this a few months ago. I will buy it when I come across some extra money. 🙂 I do enjoy writing in my journal though, and it has helped me pray more often.
 
ameliepoir said:
… For example, I’ve been to confession several times, but still haven’t memorized the act of contrition… I also use the scripture passages and daily examen as my go-to examination of conscience…
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Well, a bit off the prayer subject, but for examination of conscience you may want to include scripture where Christ emphasized He would forgive us in the same manner we extended forgiveness to others, that we in fact ask for that in the Lord’s Prayer “—forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. The account of the Last Judgment which emphasizes sins of omission.
 
ameliepoir said:
Thank you!

I didn’t know about the book of Christian Prayer when I first posted this a few months ago. I will buy it when I come across some extra money. 🙂 I do enjoy writing in my journal though, and it has helped me pray more often.
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It’s fine to get Christian Prayer, but it would be easier to begin with Shorter Christian Prayer–to familiarize yourself with that and then move on to Christian Prayer. SCP is also a slimmer book, and so easier to carry with you. 🙂

You’ll need to buy a supplement in order to find where you’re supposed to be on what days. St. Joseph’s Guide is the one most people use. The Liturgy of the Hours is also online free: divineoffice.org. As you can see, they have apps and other features you might find helpful.

When we pray Morning and Evening Prayer we anchor our day in prayer that is approved by the Church and prayed by the Church around the world. We are praying with the Church using the Church’s official liturgy. Other devotional prayers are fine, of course, but praying the Divine Office–at least parts of it, keeps us in line with Church teaching as well as the seasons, feasts, and memorials the Church celebrates.
 
RE: Shorter Christian Prayer.

Get it only if all you’re going to do is Morning and Evening Prayer. If you want MORE than that (like all of the weeks of Advent, Lent, etc.) get the one volume Christian Prayer.

I found that having only one week of Advent in SCP drove me crazy – repeating the same things over and over for four straight weeks, and when I considered having to do the same for Lent, I went and bought Christian Prayer.

Note – the Pauline edition of Christian Prayer is easier to follow than CBP’s. It’s out of print, but there are copies available at both Amazon and on Ebay from time to time.
 
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