Need help with praying

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sariejack

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Hi everyone,

I am new to the Catholic faith, as I am moving from being a Methodist to converting to Catholicism. I pray the Rosary every morning and attend Mass or SCAP on Sundays, depending on what is being offered at the tiny Catholic church I attend. I will begin attending RCIA classes in the fall.

I have started a novena to St. Joseph for my husband, as he wants to find a new job. We are also having problems with a neighbor who harasses us and plays loud music. Consequently, we have put our house on the market so we can sell it and move. I also have a friend who has completely gone off the rails–is doing drugs, has abandoned her marriage and her children, and is contemplating moving in with a lesbian “life partner.”

I want to pray for all of these situations and people but I don’t know how to do so in a deep and contemplative way. In the Methodist church I would just pray to God directly, but I never felt a deep sense of connection between Him and my prayers. I feel a deep connection when I pray the Rosary.

Can anyone direct me to a prayer schedule, or some way to encompass all these stressful and troubling things in prayer?
 
In the prayer life of a catholic, we need not mention every one’s name to pray for them. We can say very simply, “Lord, you know my needs and the people I wish to pray for, remember them during this time of my prayer with you. I entrust to you my needs and others in my life.”

After this simple prayer or one you would like to make up yourself, then start your period of prayer and forget all else. Because Jesus said not to worry about the bills, or other mundane things, or anything else that may be bothering you since he knows all your needs already.

If you are going into the prayer of contemplation, be sure and get some good book on the subject to help guide you and show you how to do it.

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.
 
God bless you for wanting to enter into deeper prayer. God calls us to this, but we need to understand what it is and what it isn’t in order to do it properly and not become discouraged. 🙂

Contemplative prayer is not primarily petitionary in nature, although our souls certainly do petition God in contemplation.

We don’t have to have a deep experience of prayer in order to properly pray for others. We only need to mention their needs, as we are able and can remember them. Then we leave them in God’s hands as we strive to be good witnesses before others to the love and joy of being in Christ.

Entering into contemplative prayer takes time and a peeling away of self-interest. It’s not generally for the beginner. If you wish to obtain to contemplative prayer you begin with meditative prayer, which is allowing the prayers to enter into your heart and mind through reading, such as Scripture reading or praying a devotional prayer such as the Rosary and meditating on the mysteries. Contemplative prayer is merely listening in one’s soul to God as the Holy Spirit moves you. Most of us need time and practice to quiet our minds and hearts in order to stop and truly listen with the ears of our souls.

For now, in order to pray for your loved ones, simply mention their needs to God and be content that he knows about them and cares even more than you do about their well being, in this life and in the next. There’s no need to experience anything for this, but if your heart is stirred in petitionary prayer thank God for it and go on as if you received nothing. Consolations are more debts we own God rather than merits we’re earned. So, don’t depend on them, but let God move in your heart and soul as he sees fit and as you need him to. But when you feel nothing pray all the more for in doing so, when we feel the least like praying, that God is most pleased with our prayers.
 
sariejack said:
Hi everyone,

I am new to the Catholic faith, as I am moving from being a Methodist to converting toh Catholicism. I pray the Rosary every morning and attend Mass or SCAP on Sundays, depending on what is being offered at the tiny Catholic church I attend. I will begin attending RCIA classes in the fall.

I have started a novena to St. Joseph for my husband, as he wants to find a new job. We are also having problems with a neighbor who harasses us and plays loud music. Consequently, we have put our house on the market so we can sell it and move. I also have a friend who has completely gone off the rails–is doing drugs, has abandoned her marriage and her children, and is contemplating moving in with a lesbian “life partner.”

I want to pray for all of these situations and people but I don’t know how to do so in a deep and contemplative way. In the Methodist church I would just pray to God directly, but I never felt a deep sense of connection between Him and my prayers. I feel a deep connection when I pray the Rosary.

Can anyone direct me to a prayer schedule, or some way to encompass all these stressful and troubling things in prayer?
Click to expand...
Praying to the Holy Spirit to give you guidance, direction, strength, fortitude & wisdom in your time of need.
 
Praying for your intentions …

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen
 
Prayer is communication with God. Contemplation is communicating with God in our hearts. Begin with 10-15 minutes of silent prayer each day, listening to God rather than talking. Even if you feel bored just be there with God.

Contemplation is mentioned in the bible:
“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him” (Ps 37:7).

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother (Ps 131:2).

“Go out and stand on the mountain before the lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” (1Kgs 19:11-13).

Praying the rosary is a another way of communicating with God. The rosary has also been a way of praying for victory (Lepanto), evangelization (Guadalupe), healing (Lourdes), and peace (Fatima). Keep praying and God will come to you just like he did Elijah.

This website is a great place to pray the rosary with Catholics worldwide:
comepraytherosary.org/
 
When I pray the Liturgy of the Hours with our Morning Prayer group, when we get to the intercessions, the phrase, “and all the intentions we hold in our hearts” is often used. I love that phrase, because too often I have so many intentions it would take forever to mention them all. In private prayer, unless I really feel a pressing need weighing on my mind, I just ask Jesus to read my heart and see to the intentions there. I also commit them to the Blessed Mother and trust her to see to it that what needs to be done is done.
As a convert, a couple of things have helped me:
  1. Total consecration to Mary (I have found 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley to be really good and user-friendly. St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Devotion to Mary is the original, but very involved if you don’t have the time. There is also Totus Tuus which is a “33 day” devotional based on the writings of St. John Paul II and St. Louis de Montfort. It’s not as brief as 33 Days, but not as involved as St. Louis’ either. So far it’s really good, but I’m only on Day 3. :D)
  2. Spending time in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. If you can spend some time every day, you will learn pretty quickly how to “Be still and know that I am God.”
  3. Receive the Sacraments as often as you can - every day, if possible. After all, the greatest prayer we pray is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (Therefore #3 is actually #1 for teaching how to pray.)
I hope that helps. God bless you richly!
Kris
 
Dear ariejack
I am glad you like to pray the Rosary. I think Rosary is the most powerful intercessory prayer. Mary always points us to Jesus. Mary always prays for God’s will. I feel rest assured to trust my intentions to her motherly care.

We use our hearts not only our lips to pray the Rosary, meditating on each mystery. I only put my petitions at the very end, briefly mentioning my multiple intentions. I trust my Mother knows my desires and will ask God on my behalf as she sees the most appropriate.
 
After the Mass and the Divine Office the holy Rosary is the most powerful prayer. Pray it daily and fervently! Before you pray to Jesus put yourself in Mary’s company and ask her to offer up your prayers to Him. Your prayers will be so well received, and you can count on that! God bless you.
 
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