Praying in front of a computer? 'Ok'?

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Dear all;

I am trying to pray more each day. It isn’t easy- getting up, getting ready for work; etc. I pray in bed at night, and sometimes fall asleep!

I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy today via a website. You could click the checkboxes after prayers instead of using a Rosary. I didn’t check many- I was in the prayer and found it distracting (anyway, you can use your fingers).

I wondered if people thought it was ‘ok’ or helpful to pray at a computer- or if we should be taking ourselves away from this environment to pray? I try and pray in my head while I am out and about, cooking, etc- but often I end up rambling. It can be difficult to pick a time and stick to it. More so to print off prayers which may never end up being said.
 
Yes that is fine. Though better of course to use a blessed rosary. But yes praying looking at a screen is fine. We pray all sorts of places.

Quoted in the Compendium issued by Pope Benedict XVI from an early Church Father:
Code: 
“It is possible to offer frequent and fervent prayer even at the market place or strolling alone. It is possible also in your place of business, while buying or selling, or even while cooking.” (Saint John Chrysostom)
vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

But also very helpful and very good (in addition to a particular time set aside for prayer)- is to have the practice of frequent “short prayers” during your day.

Indeed --often during the day --pray little “short prayers” of love etc such is a very ancient practice --during our work, recreation, our daily life - * to keep our heart turned towards the Lord* (as one Carthusian put it).

Some might do one when ever it occurs to them…or when changing what they are doing (opening a door) etc.

Such a wonderfully ancient form of prayer! One can use words from Scripture (a line from the Psalms etc) or other short prayers. They are great to help one keep the presence of God …they can be said anywhere…and frequently.

St. Augustine spoke of them being sort of like arrows sent forth all the time by the hermits of the desert-“darted forth” like arrows. (of course they are for everyone not just hermits from the early days of the Church…he was simply describing the way they lived…but this where the term for this kind of prayer came from).

Some examples (one could make up ones own or use a line from the psalms etc)

Jesus

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!

Jesus Good Shepherd, I believe in you, I hope in you, I love you

Mary, Star of Hope pray for us

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

Christus resurrexit!- Christ is risen

Jesus I love you

Come Holy Spirit

Blessed be God

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever

I believe in You. I hope in you. I love you. I adore You, O Blessed Trinity.

Blessed be the Holy Trinity

Deo Gratius

Thanks be to God!

Jesus Christ Son of God Savior

Lord Jesus (Dominus Jesus)

God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me
(line from Psalm and a favorite of Cassian)

Also I would note in addition: The Church even attaches a partial indulgence to any short prayers when they are offered while carrying out ones duties an enduring the hardships of life --as one raises ones mind in humble trust to God making at least mentally a “pious invocation” (another name for them…) It also refers to the use of such prayers as a “long standing” practice of the faithful.

It is the very first grant in the general norms of indulgences.

Also this author and book (new book of his -I have not got it yet but looked at it and as always it is very good): scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=791
 
Thanks so much for the reply. I was pleased to see the quote about praying in the marketplace, etc. It shows that people in ancient times had similar struggles, too!

I was going to ask if you could suggest prayers- but you had that covered too! Thank you!
 
Bookcat, you rock! I’m looking for little ways to add more prayer to my day, and those “one-liners” are perfect. I think I’m going to put them on sticky notes through the house as a reminder until it becomes second nature.

Thanks for the tip! And thanks to OP for the question. I’ve often wondered about praying in front of the computer, too, especially when I was learning the prayers.
 
rcuk said:
Dear all;

I am trying to pray more each day. It isn’t easy- getting up, getting ready for work; etc. I pray in bed at night, and sometimes fall asleep!

I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy today via a website. You could click the checkboxes after prayers instead of using a Rosary. I didn’t check many- I was in the prayer and found it distracting (anyway, you can use your fingers).

I wondered if people thought it was ‘ok’ or helpful to pray at a computer- or if we should be taking ourselves away from this environment to pray? I try and pray in my head while I am out and about, cooking, etc- but often I end up rambling. It can be difficult to pick a time and stick to it. More so to print off prayers which may never end up being said.
Click to expand...
Pray whenever you want and however you can. It’s about talk
 
rcuk said:
Dear all;

I am trying to pray more each day. It isn’t easy- getting up, getting ready for work; etc. I pray in bed at night, and sometimes fall asleep!

I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy today via a website. You could click the checkboxes after prayers instead of using a Rosary. I didn’t check many- I was in the prayer and found it distracting (anyway, you can use your fingers).

I wondered if people thought it was ‘ok’ or helpful to pray at a computer- or if we should be taking ourselves away from this environment to pray? I try and pray in my head while I am out and about, cooking, etc- but often I end up rambling. It can be difficult to pick a time and stick to it. More so to print off prayers which may never end up being said.
Click to expand...
Pray whenever you want and however you can. It’s about talking to God and joining in with him!

On prayer: “Sometimes I nod off for a while;…for the strain of the day more or less makes you fall asleep, but he understands.” — Pope Francis
 
As a “new” Catholic who is learning, I often use an app called iRosary. You can click through the beads on the screen with the prayers alongside, and there’s artwork to illustrate the Mysteries. It’s been very helpful to me.
 
Greetings beloved fellow Christian. My dears, while all prayer is profitable and pleasing to God we must understand that we should not be lazy in our prayer life. It is not a checklist that you try to fit in to your day. Prayer should be a priority. We all live busy live but I tell you the truth, I still find time in the morning and the evening to escape away to my prayer closet and spend 20 minutes or so in prayer. It’s about priorities. Do you have time to watch tv? Do you have time for Facebook? Do you have time to spend on this forum? Then you should have time to dedicate yourself wholly to prayer. Also, go get a real rosary.

God bless you all -

Zachary
 
Be at peace dear one.
If you are moved while at the computer to think of Our Lord, go to Him in prayer.
Would you rather not get a call from your beloved while he or she was at work? Or would you be please to hear their voice no matter where they were calling from?
So it is with Our Lord and Our Lady.
There are times when you undoubtedly make time to attend Adoration.
There are times when you will be inspired to go to an early morning weekday Mass.
There are times when the sun setting fills your heart with joy.
All times are convenient to the God who loves us unconditionally.
His light is always “on”. 👍
God bless,
pianist
 
I find praying in a place reserved for sacred things is better,
a computer, if you do WORK or WORLDLY PASS-TIMES with
it, it is better to avoid doing that! God is HOLY, you cannot mix
God’s time with PROFANE times, are we trying to arouse God’s
jealousy, are we stronger than He? 1 Cor 10:22
 
I think the ideal is total focus on the Lord, and removal of self from all other things during prayer. That said, the environment may lend itself. If you see car accident on your way home, pray as you drive (carefully, please) rather than waiting until you get home. If you read the news on your PC or phone, pray as you read it. If you wish to devote your work day to the Lord (something I used to do but have fallen out of practice … I should start that again), it’s entirely appropriate to pray in your office, at your desk, or while waiting for a customer while you stock inventory.

But do try to make time away from everything, even for a little while, to be most fully in His Presence.
 
rcuk said:
Dear all;

I am trying to pray more each day. It isn’t easy- getting up, getting ready for work; etc. I pray in bed at night, and sometimes fall asleep!

I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy today via a website. You could click the checkboxes after prayers instead of using a Rosary. I didn’t check many- I was in the prayer and found it distracting (anyway, you can use your fingers).

I wondered if people thought it was ‘ok’ or helpful to pray at a computer- or if we should be taking ourselves away from this environment to pray? I try and pray in my head while I am out and about, cooking, etc- but often I end up rambling. It can be difficult to pick a time and stick to it. More so to print off prayers which may never end up being said.
Click to expand...
I pray the rosary online everyday! We can pray individually or together, the more, the merrier! 🙂 👍

I’ve prayed the rosary over the phone, by Skype (with my mother, in the US), online. As long as you’re praying, I don’t think it much matters.

I also try to pray when out and about. If I don’t finish, I don’t finish. So, I pray when in line, waiting for the bus. It works out. I don’t get as angry and frustrated at waits, and I get more prayer time in.

Additionally, I do prayer outside of that. So, whether I get prayer done while out and about or not, I have a scheduled time set aside.
 
“I can’t do big things. But I want all I do, even the smallest thing, to be for the greater glory of God.” St Dominic Savio

rcuk, I find this quote of St Dominic inspirering. “I want all i do…”
 
I do it often. I don’t always have printed copies of a novena I’m praying, so I would read the prayers on the Net.
 
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