Problem in prayer life?

[sambos671]

I enjoy my prayer life generally speaking. I enjoy the disciplines of prayer that the Church encourages. I enjoy a relationship with the Trinity. But lately I just don’t want to pray. On my breaks from work I have took the time to say the rosary or make personal prayer. At home I try to follow the hours and spend time reading scripture and having family prayer. Its just that lately my attitude has been opposed to prayer and I don’t know why. I’m trying to analyse why this may be. I know we go through different times in life but why am I acting like a stubborn mule with regard to my spiritual life? I’m willing, its just that my mind, body, and spirit seems to be bucking me as I force myself to simply pray. Any others have the same issue or ideas?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Prayer, like exercise, will become a bore if the practice of prayer is merely reciting prayers and not based on a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The relationship, which is developed through contemplative prayer, is where the Lord begins to transform the soul through his love. It is what draws us to prayer, rather than the mental discipline that we need to pray, merely for the sake of prayer.

Once the love of Jesus Christ touches your soul, it’s impossible not to return to him on a daily basis.

Remember, God dwells within you and when you pray, you are going to the interior where heart and mind are united in the presence of God.

It is from the depth of your being that God speaks to us best, as St Teresa wrote, for there it’s not human words that we hear, but the language of God which is love, spoken in silence.

I would suggest developing a practice of contemplative prayer in your life.

However, I’ll warn you right now, you’re going to be given conflicting advice contrary to this, you can be assured. The evil one does not want you to grow closer to God, and will use any means possible to persuade you from seeking a deeper relationship with God.

But God is drawing you to contemplation, so let Him lead you, in peace.

Centered In Christ Jesus
Jim

 

[Ophelia23]

My general rule of thumb is: the less I want to pray, the more I need to. Offer it to God simply because He deserves it, regardless of how you are personally feeling about it. You’ll come back around. It’s a funk. A rut. A phase. You will be ok. Keep at it! And God bless you!!

 

[Dorothy]

I enjoy my prayer life generally speaking. I enjoy the disciplines of prayer that the Church encourages. I enjoy a relationship with the Trinity. But lately I just don’t want to pray. On my breaks from work I have took the time to say the rosary or make personal prayer. At home I try to follow the hours and spend time reading scripture and having family prayer. Its just that lately my attitude has been opposed to prayer and I don’t know why. I’m trying to analyse why this may be. I know we go through different times in life but why am I acting like a stubborn mule with regard to my spiritual life? I’m willing, its just that my mind, body, and spirit seems to be bucking me as I force myself to simply pray. Any others have the same issue or ideas?

Jim OCDS has given you very good advice!

Please remember that you do not need to have feelings when you pray. God hears you even if you do not sense His Presence, and even if you feel awful. Make acts of faith and your faith will grow as you pray. There is a time when He wants to wean you away from feelings to grow spirituallly in pure faith. He will give you consolations if you need them - He will decide…trust Him!

 

[midori]

Currently reading “Interior Castle” by Teresa of Avila, and going through it with a highlighter, it’s so useful. Here was one passage that I really enjoyed last night:

How absurd and shameful it is that we who are newly born and have little strength and a thousand obstacles, drawbacks, and imperfections within ourselves, complain of feeling dryness and a lack of sweetness in our prayers.

Do not act this way; look instead unto Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, His resurrection, and the new life He lives within us. If we would be like Him, we must deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily. Most happy and content are we who follow after our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. The life that Jesus Christ gives us will empower us to endure all trials set before us; He knows what is best for us and we should not presume to advise Him in what we need. This is of vital importance: The soul allowing its will to be conformed to the will of God shall have the strength to overcome all the trials and obstacles on its journey. The soul has no need of some mysterious formula in conforming to and doing the will of God. If we start with the idea that God should follow our will and lead us in the way we think best, we will have no firm foundation for our spiritual edifice to stand on.

 

[sambos671]

The fact is I understand his perspective, but unfortunately I commonly practice contemplative prayer. In fact, I’m probably more engaged in that than prayer by rote. I typically use memorized prayer to get me into a proper mind set for contemplative prayer because I totally believe in lex orandi lex credendi lex vivendi. And I may be in a funk that I just have to work through but what bothers me is my own resistance.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The fact is I understand his perspective, but unfortunately I commonly practice contemplative prayer. In fact, I’m probably more engaged in that than prayer by rote. I typically use memorized prayer to get me into a proper mind set for contemplative prayer because I totally believe in lex orandi lex credendi lex vivendi. And I may be in a funk that I just have to work through but what bothers me is my own resistance.

Yeah, sounds like just a dry spell we all seem to go through.

I went through one in early October, but it ended on St Teresa’s feast day, which happens to be my birthday as well.

I think God has us go through these periods so that our faith isn’t based on the consolations we receive from him, but because he is God and deserves our love even when we don’t have the feeling of consolation from him.

So, to use a phrase I learned somewhere, “seek the God of consolation, rather than the consolations of God.”

God Bless
Jim

 

[Lady_Love]

It is possible that God is asking you to abandon the particular forms of prayer you are using and learn to sit quietly with Him. I often go to adoration and I sit and I say nothing. I might say, “Hi.” but then I just sit in front of Him knowing that He is there and I am with Him.

If I am distracted I might pick up the bible and read a few verses and put it down, just to give me something to gnaw on. Other times, I might just repeat a few things like, “Jesus, I love you.” or “Jesus, Have mercy on me.”

I do not always FEEL like going to adoration, especially if it is at midnight, but I go because if I don’t then who will? It is Him who has called me, not I Him.

 

[Dorothy]

Lady Love,

Thank you for your post.

 

[sambos671]

It is possible that God is asking you to abandon the particular forms of prayer you are using and learn to sit quietly with Him. I often go to adoration and I sit and I say nothing. I might say, “Hi.” but then I just sit in front of Him knowing that He is there and I am with Him.

If I am distracted I might pick up the bible and read a few verses and put it down, just to give me something to gnaw on. Other times, I might just repeat a few things like, “Jesus, I love you.” or “Jesus, Have mercy on me.”

I do not always FEEL like going to adoration, especially if it is at midnight, but I go because if I don’t then who will? It is Him who has called me, not I Him.

You may have something. Thanks for the advice.