Organizing prayer life and prayer intentions?

[youngsterat16]

I’ve been trying to increase my prayer life but am having difficulties. I get in an out of routine of doing it. I started making a prayer journal type of gizmo but when I go to pray I feel like I should try sayiing all of them at once but it’s not humanly possible for me. I only have a few in there because of this issue.

Similar issue with prayer intentions. I feel like I have so much to pray for but can’t pray for everything.ex. i’ll be prayiong for say a friend and his/her issues then I may think of some people that I havent seen in years that I pray for. Then I feel like I should pray for the poor and those in abusive homes and the list just increases and I end up ending with for everyone and everything in the whole world.

how do you organize prayer? I just feel overwhelmed sometimes on it because I want to love more and not leave anything out but all of this just makes it ifficult to concentrate sometimes.

Thanks in advance
God Bless

 

[youngsterat16]

and then there’s all of those prayer intentions on here. how do you deal with it?

 

[UpUpAndAway]

I have a prayer routine that takes up a fair bit of time, 3-4 hours a day. I’m also crazy busy—as head sacristan of a large parish, my schedule is quite full and often riddled with the unexpected. I frequently find myself amending my usual prayers to permit me to deal with my other responsibilities.

Here’s the best advice I’ve ever been given about prayer: even the shortest prayer, prayed with sincerity, is pleasing to the Lord. There are times, for example, when I just can’t find the time to pray Vespers. Instead, I tell God sincerely that I would loved to have offered Him Vespers, but on that day I will offer him an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be instead. Then I pray those three prayers with everything I have.

Like you, I keep a prayer journal. More accurately, it’s a prayer intentions journal. I write down everything I’m praying for in that book. During my prayers, I keep the journal at my side and offer the Lord all the intentions noted in it. Just like that. I don’t cite each one individually, as that would take hours. God knows what I’ve written. He knows what desires we carry around in our hearts, whether they be our own requests or those entrusted to us by others. Not mentioning each one by name in prayer doesn’t mean we love less.

In a nutshell, do what you can. If something is “not humanly possible,” then don’t get worked up about it. God doesn’t ask the impossible of us, so we shouldn’t expect it of ourselves.

God bless

 

[peter26]

I tend to use prayers that cover different generic intentions, some of these are part of Divine Office in the form I use. I also use a Litany, which contains various general intentions, e.g. for the sick, for clergy, for civil authorities, for people struggling with faith and so forth.

 

[puzzledtoo]

Greetings to all,
Doing the same thing with the prayer intention forum as a previous poster mentioned they do with their prayer intention journal seems like it would free up some time and ease frustration. Praying for all beings everywhere or in groups as mentioned in a previous post eg: those with addictions or those suffering from mental or physical disease or abuse. Then saving individual intentions for someone close to you in need.
I try to offer up my daily tasks whatever they are as a prayer. If I’m cutting wood or taking someone to lunch or the dr. or hospital I try to remember to offer it as a prayer before hand. Since you’re 16 (?) you could possibly do the same for school work whether at school or at home. If you participate in sports before practice or an event offer your participation as a prayer.
Often in my view we tend to pigeon hole what prayer is and really it can be anything and anywhere.
May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be happy. Blessings to you and yours.

 

[Della]

While everyone’s suggestions are fine, the Church already has an official daily prayer routine. It’s called the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours. It consists of a hymn, antiphons, three Psalms, one Scripture reading, a responsorial, daily intentions for the Church and the world, an Our Father and a closing prayer. People usually pray for their personal intentions before reciting the Our Father.

Most lay people pray Morning Prayer (beginning with the Invitatory Psalm), Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. Morning and Evening Prayer take about 10 to 15 minutes depending on if you recite the orally or merely read them. Night Prayer takes only about 5 minutes. Everything is laid out quite nicely for newbies at: divineoffice.org/. Praying the Divine Office fulfills all our daily needs in prayer. You can add any prayers you like to it if you pray it in private. In public recitations that isn’t done.

In your personal intentions you can use phrases such as: for the people of God and all persons of good will; for the sick and suffering; for our loved ones and benefactors: for those recommended to our prayers; for those for whom we regularly pray; for those who have the hope of our prayers, etc. This cuts down on having to name every name, which is humanly impossible.

 

[Lormar]

I’ve been trying to increase my prayer life but am having difficulties. I get in an out of routine of doing it. I started making a prayer journal type of gizmo but when I go to pray I feel like I should try sayiing all of them at once but it’s not humanly possible for me. I only have a few in there because of this issue.

Similar issue with prayer intentions. I feel like I have so much to pray for but can’t pray for everything.ex. i’ll be prayiong for say a friend and his/her issues then I may think of some people that I havent seen in years that I pray for. Then I feel like I should pray for the poor and those in abusive homes and the list just increases and I end up ending with for everyone and everything in the whole world.

how do you organize prayer? I just feel overwhelmed sometimes on it because I want to love more and not leave anything out but all of this just makes it ifficult to concentrate sometimes.

Thanks in advance
God Bless

That made me laugh because I am the same way. It can become overwhelming and, like yourself, I just wind up commending everyone in the world to Our Lady.

Someone suggested to me a few years ago to create a “spiritual family” and place those whom I have promised to pray for, who have asked my prayers, or for those who I have an obligation to pray for, in this spiritual family. All you have to do is name them once (e.g. “Blessed Mother, I place [fill in name] in my spiritual family”). Thereafter, if you don’t want to mention someone specifically when you are praying, or do not have the time to do so, just pray “Blessed Mother, I place my spiritual family in your Immaculate Heart.”