Prayers-Having a hard time praying recently

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lakotak

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I am really having a hard time praying recently. I can’t seem to stay awake if I am saying a Rosary, The Divine Mercy Chaplet or reading a book about a Saint, St. Gemma Galgani to be specific. Last night I started to say the Chaplet, sitting up in bed. I do not remember falling asleep, but I was tucked in bed this morning. I don’t know how I managed to tuck myself in bed without knowing about it. Here at work, on my lunch hour, I tried to read about Gemma and almost dropped the book several times nodding off. This happens each time. I can’t seem to finish any of my prayers, no matter where I am or what position I am in.

Please pray that this will end soon and I can get to finish my prayers or finish reading about St. Gemma without falling asleep. This is ridiculous. Please pray.
 
Hi

I don’t want to alarm you or frighten you but this sounds like you’re being tempted. I’ve experienced many attacks and falling asleep is a tactic to stop you from praying. It happened to me once while attending Mass. I silently said a Hail Mary and then I was fine.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

God bless you,
Clare
 
This sounds very much like you are stressed and not getting enough decent sleep, more than anything else. It is, you have told us, an especially difficult time of year for you because of loneliness and the anniversary of your beloved mother, along with the illness of a dear friend. Your mother’s absence is a particular sorrow to you, as you have told us.
I ask the Lord to give you comfort, and that you will have restful sleep, so that you are able to cope with day to day with more alertness and peace.
God’s kindest blessings to you.
 
poor_clare said:
Hi

I don’t want to alarm you or frighten you but this sounds like you’re being tempted. I’ve experienced many attacks and falling asleep is a tactic to stop you from praying. It happened to me once while attending Mass. I silently said a Hail Mary and then I was fine.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

God bless you,
Clare
Click to expand...
HI,

I have a feeling this may be accurate. I have had many strange and unexplained things happen to me over the past two years since my Mom’s death. I just get the feeling that this is not a sleep or stress related issue as Trish kindly suggests. Thank you for your insights and prayers.
 
Praying that you can pray and do your spiritual reading without falling asleep. May you get enough rest at night and be vigilant during the day, especially when doing things that are spiritual. Amen.
 
Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
 
odhiambo said:
Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Hail Mary conceived without sin.
Pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Click to expand...
Amen
 
Poor_ claire and Trishie certainly have a great amount of experience in prayer, so I consider their advice extremely valuable. I too think this problem may have a spiritual component. It may also be due to temporary stress, a minor change in body metabolism, or simply an indicator of a need to change your prayer pattern.

As with many problems, a multi-facted approach might be best to employ. You might try breaking your prayers up, since extended prayer while you are preparing to sleep is taxing on the small reserve of spiritual energy you have left at day’s end. Make some of your prayer in the morning, when you are refreshed and re-energized. Not all of it, but just a bit. During the day, as difficult as it may seem at first, continue with your prayer. Conclude your prayers at night. Try this for a few days and see what happens. If the problem goes away, it may be just that you have acclimated a little too much to your prayer pattern and need a slight revision.

However, if sleepiness (watch carefully for some new distraction) attacks all times of prayer, you are safe to assume that it is a spiritual attack. Take Saint Paul’s advice from Ephesians 6:10-17 and armor up! Look up a few good Catholic Spiritual Warfare prayers on the web and you will find one which suits you. Pray it will all confidence and a sense of urgency, as they are extremely effective against even demonic oppression. The attacks of the evil one may be occasional, sporadic, consistent or even unrelenting, as many of the great Saints have attested. Take heart that the Lord’s power in such cases awaits your call! You will rarely find a quicker response to prayer than during a spiritual attack. It can be instantaneous.

We know, and are confident that God is always infinitely more powerful than all of the forces of evil combined, so we take our comfort and refuge in Him. Take comfort also in the fact that evil considers your prayers to be a threat! This in itself carries three blessings: (1) You have a greater awareness of evil’s presence and design against you; (2) Our Lord is pleased with the value of your prayer, since evil chooses to oppose it, and (3) The evil one, being a coward, will flee when you resist him. Much more than a vexing concern, this has become a blessing to you.

Christ’s peace be with you.
 
You have gotten great advice to follow, so I will pray for your intentions.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
 
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
 
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary,
that never was it known,
that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To you I come, before you I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in your mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen.
 
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
 
po18guy said:
Poor_ claire and Trishie certainly have a great amount of experience in prayer, so I consider their advice extremely valuable. I too think this problem may have a spiritual component. It may also be due to temporary stress, a minor change in body metabolism, or simply an indicator of a need to change your prayer pattern.

As with many problems, a multi-facted approach might be best to employ. You might try breaking your prayers up, since extended prayer while you are preparing to sleep is taxing on the small reserve of spiritual energy you have left at day’s end. Make some of your prayer in the morning, when you are refreshed and re-energized. Not all of it, but just a bit. During the day, as difficult as it may seem at first, continue with your prayer. Conclude your prayers at night. Try this for a few days and see what happens. If the problem goes away, it may be just that you have acclimated a little too much to your prayer pattern and need a slight revision.

However, if sleepiness (watch carefully for some new distraction) attacks all times of prayer, you are safe to assume that it is a spiritual attack. Take Saint Paul’s advice from Ephesians 6:10-17 and armor up! Look up a few good Catholic Spiritual Warfare prayers on the web and you will find one which suits you. Pray it will all confidence and a sense of urgency, as they are extremely effective against even demonic oppression. The attacks of the evil one may be occasional, sporadic, consistent or even unrelenting, as many of the great Saints have attested. Take heart that the Lord’s power in such cases awaits your call! You will rarely find a quicker response to prayer than during a spiritual attack. It can be instantaneous.

We know, and are confident that God is always infinitely more powerful than all of the forces of evil combined, so we take our comfort and refuge in Him. Take comfort also in the fact that evil considers your prayers to be a threat! This in itself carries three blessings: (1) You have a greater awareness of evil’s presence and design against you; (2) Our Lord is pleased with the value of your prayer, since evil chooses to oppose it, and (3) The evil one, being a coward, will flee when you resist him. Much more than a vexing concern, this has become a blessing to you.

Christ’s peace be with you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your advise and insights. I never really thought about our prayers being a threat to Satan, something to think about. Thanks again
 
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary,
that never was it known,
that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To you I come, before you I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in your mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen.
 
Hi,

Thank you all for your prayers. I am still having lots of problems with prayer or anything religious-books, etc. Please continue to pray for me.

Thank you again.
 
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary,
that never was it known,
that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help, or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To you I come, before you I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions, but in your mercy,
hear and answer me.
Amen.
 
poor_clare said:
Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Click to expand...
Amen
 
You’re doing fine.

PATER NOSTER,
qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
 
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