Mental Prayer and organizing prayer time

[Oumashta]

As I grow older, I find that my current state of life as a student is requiring more and more of my time. I can no longer spend an hour in my room in prayer. Although I know if need to get my work done, I feel guilty or sad if I do not complete my prayers. I know that I need to reorganize my time, but I just don’t know how to do it. My morning prayer usually consists of privately praying the Liturgy of the Hours, my own made up prayer, set vocal prayers (Holy Face prayers, Divine Mercy prayers, Immaculate Heart prayers etc…), a chapter of the Bible, a meditation on the life of Our Lord and Our Lady, and the Rosary. Sometimes I may have to cut out certain things or pray later in order to do my work.
But I find that I have more joy in just sitting quietly in my room, closing my eyes, and just talking to God in my own heart, without any words. This made me want to know more about mental prayer.
Then, that gets me on to my second question, what is mental prayer? I know that many Saints have recommended it as a great way of prayer. Is there a website that could tell me what it is? I’ve tried googling it, but none of them are specific on how you pray it.
All help is appreciated!
~God bless.

 

[Waiting]

You are an amazing young person to devote so much time to prayer. The Lord is very pleased, I know. I don’t know what mental prayer is, if it’s not just mediation or quietly saying a rosary, etc. Maybe someone can advise you on that. As far as finding time, of course the best way to pray is quiet, undisturbed time with the Lord, but facing reality, we often have very limited time for that. I like to say all four mysteries of the rosary every day, plus private devotions. As a retired person you might think that would be easy timewise. It isn’t. There are so many “must dos” in a day, that it’s difficult to find the time. What I do, and I hope it doesn’t disappoint the Lord, is to fill in decades of the rosary when I can concentrate on them while still doing something else. For instance, as I walk the dog I usually can say a few decades – sometimes all five during the walk. Even peeling potatoes, washing the dishes, etc. Anything that I can do mechanically leaves my mind free to pray. If I left all my prayers for a quiet time alone with the Lord, I would not accomplish what needs to be done. Maybe that makes me too much of a Martha, and not enough Mary. I can live with that. I don’t know if this helps. Good luck with your studies. God bless.

 

[InLight247]

Prayer is our conversation with God. A true prayer is when our heart and God’s heart click and touch each other. It really does not matter what we call it – discursive prayer, mental prayer, meditation, reflection, contemplation…. As long as our hearts are with God, as long as our conversation is affective, we have a good prayer. And being affective does not necessarily mean to feel the emotion, though intense emotion could be there. After all, love is in the will.

It does not matter what “method” we use, or how long we pray, what important is the personal loving conversation. A glance, a smile or a sentiment could be enough. A Rosary, a Chaplet, LOTH, a simple “Our Father” or any other written prayer are fine too. Everyone prays differently according to his own temperament. God is not limited by the forms of our prayer. God wants our heart.

In our busy daily schedule, we may practice prayers in action. If we practice constant recollection, if we engage in the practice of the presence of God throughout the day, we can stay in front of the Lord whatever we do and wherever we are. Of course, it is always good if we may go to the adoration and stay in front of the tabernacle, or if we strive to set aside a period of quiet time to be with the Lord.

These are just my thoughts. Hope it may help a little.

 

[Oumashta]

Thanks for both of your comments. I think now I may just pray some prayers throughout the day rather than all at one time… Thanks!
God bless.

 

[crystal_waters]

As I grow older, I find that my current state of life as a student is requiring more and more of my time. I can no longer spend an hour in my room in prayer. Although I know if need to get my work done, I feel guilty or sad if I do not complete my prayers. I know that I need to reorganize my time, but I just don’t know how to do it. My morning prayer usually consists of privately praying the Liturgy of the Hours, my own made up prayer, set vocal prayers (Holy Face prayers, Divine Mercy prayers, Immaculate Heart prayers etc…), a chapter of the Bible, a meditation on the life of Our Lord and Our Lady, and the Rosary. Sometimes I may have to cut out certain things or pray later in order to do my work.
But I find that I have more joy in just sitting quietly in my room, closing my eyes, and just talking to God in my own heart, without any words. This made me want to know more about mental prayer.
Then, that gets me on to my second question, what is mental prayer? I know that many Saints have recommended it as a great way of prayer. Is there a website that could tell me what it is? I’ve tried googling it, but none of them are specific on how you pray it.
All help is appreciated!
~God bless.

what i would suggest is that you divide your prayers up through the day…

i know that your may have work or school to go to but don’t panic…hear me out lol

how about downloading for free from the internet the rosary, divine mercy chaplet etc on to an mp3 player and then you can carry that in your pocket and when you have spare moments during the day switch it on and pray along…

maybe instead of watching tv, sacrifice a bit of tv time and do your bible reading and maybe your meditations…or you could do this before bed to un wind…

 

[Victorious]

Remember that the duties of your state of life always take priority. I am a lay Dominican, and I live by a Rule that obliges me to recite the Divine Office three times a day (Lauds, Vespers and Compline), say the Rosary every day, attend daily Mass when possible; yet to the extent any of these conflict with the duties of my state of life, the duties come first.