Scheduling prayer time

[scjmb03]

Does anyone else have set times for prayer each day? My spiritual director has me setting times for prayer and in a way it is annoying - which makes it a cross to offer up when I want to go play instead of praying. At other times I am grateful for the set times, because it makes it easier. I would love a bit of feed back on what works for you and if it was touch and go at first. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful response. Have a blessed day!

 

[KCT]

I do have some regularly scheduled times. Angelus at noon, morning prayers- usually in the chapel before 8:30am Mass, night balance before bed. I find it helpful. It’s like an appointment w/ God, and who could be more important? —KCT

 

[brabble]

I too try very hard to keep Prayer Times and I daresay were one in religious life it just could be a simpler task - set prayer times are expected of religious and no one batts an eyelid; however, I am a lay person considering entering a Third Order Secular and often the demands in a day just won’t allow for my set Prayer Times unless I stipulate “Sorry, this is my Prayer Time” which I think is rather rude - it is saying talking to God is far more important than acting for God.

I try to trust God with all my heart who knows that I want to please Him but often do not know exactly how to go about it - this asks more trust and doing one’s best with simplicity. I have a spiritual director too who advises Prayer Times - but in the final analysis who am I setting out to please, my director or God? If it is God then simply do one’s best with simplicity and the knowledge I am not perfect nor even near it!!! . . . and then try to explain the whole situation to one’s director as best one can.

Also some Catholic Saint, whose name I have forgotten, does advise if a duty or a person etc. calls at Prayer Time, then let duty or the person etc. be one’s prayer.

I try to take each day as the only day I must live as best I can and this echo’s the words of Christ “Today,'s troubles are enough for today!”
We have in The Church a new (more or less) Doctor of The Church - St. Therese of Lisieux - and she advises that we be quite childlike with God alone and absolutely trust Him confidently - this is often not ‘felt’ but an act of will a decision that we firmly make. She advises against all sorts of pulling and pushing at ourselves as when at thanksgiving after Holy Communion she used to fall asleep - rather than reprimand herself she considered how a child will fall asleep in her mother’s arms. Intuitively we know when to confidently trust God and when to do a bit of pushing and pulling at ourselves and it is a very personal matter. St. Therese too had tremendous difficulties with spiritual direction and felt her director at one stage could not insight or understand her at all.
Summary: Trust God with simplicity and confidence and you may not actually hear him speaking to you - but deep down you will know how to act and respond - this is the promptings of The Holy Spirit which has no words and is ‘delicate’ or takes a very quiet ‘listening’ to oneself.

BUT IN ALL THINGS - - be happy, smile and keep your eyes on God!

 

[Dunmoose]

I try to keep regular prayer times as well. I simply find it a lot easier to manage with all my other demands. I find that if I don’t keep it, then I am in a lot of trouble. I am a hermit with a roommate and a full time job, so I do not have the same kinds of time pressures that a parent would have. I don’t have a set “horarium”, though. Maybe that would be a good thing.

 

[Jermosh]

I am a CWW night shift worker. So my wake and sleep times vary thruout the week.
I do force my self into prayer schedules though, on my work days I pray during my commute(no rosary ofcourse).

On my days off, I pray mondays and tuesdays in adoration.

Peace
Jermosh

 

[scjmb03]

brabble:

… however, I am a lay person considering entering a Third Order Secular and often the demands in a day just won’t allow for my set Prayer Times unless I stipulate “Sorry, this is my Prayer Time” which I think is rather rude - it is saying talking to God is far more important than acting for God.

I try to trust God with all my heart who knows that I want to please Him but often do not know exactly how to go about it - this asks more trust and doing one’s best with simplicity. I have a spiritual director too who advises Prayer Times - but in the final analysis who am I setting out to please, my director or God? If it is God then simply do one’s best with simplicity and the knowledge I am not perfect nor even near it!!!

For me the set times seem ‘annoying’ occasionally, because sometimes I would rather work on my music or spend time with a friend when I should be in prayer and I having to stick to a set schedule helps me stay focused on Christ above all else. Initially chafed at my spiritual director’s directions, because I felt like it was something I couldn’t do. However, once I thought about the fact I schedule regular time with friends in order to nourish our friendships I realized I am neglecting Christ by not scheduling time on a daily basis to be with him. I know Christ is my best friend and spouse so I should want to spend time with Christ before all others. If I was married I would have time set aside to spend with my spouse so why would I give anything less to Christ.

I handle set prayer times by saying I have plans for those set times and offer to meet with someone at a different time or ask them if they want to join me in prayer at that time and then we can do what we want to. Just as I schedule to go to Mass every Sunday, attend Mass as often as possible during the week and participate in regular Adoration and Benediction, I make this schedule part of my life and those I know seem to be very understanding and accepting that my life has a set routine. In the near future, I hope to have a set horarium. Due to my work schedule currently, I have a set schedule based on my scheduled hours at work. I keep set prayer times within an hour of each other from day to day. Example: If I have a ‘normal’ time for Evening Prayer as 6:30pm I can schedule EP as early as 5:30 or 7:30 based on my work schedule.

 

[SPOKENWORD]

My scheduled prayer time is 7am to 9am. I wake up at 6am and go to work at 9.30am. I travel every mourning to meet with my Father God in His house. Many will say you can pray from home but for me I choose to be in the House of the Lord. It all depends how close you want to come into His presence.

 

[jrabs]

I have scheduled times also. I am a morning person so I found it was best to pray as soon as I get up to give God my best attention. God deserves our best.

This works for me twofold: I found when I did not schedule time, I tended to forget and just go about my daily tasks. If I waited until night, I was tired, cranky, and not focused - so not giving God my true attention.

 

[59_Pebbles]

Jermosh:

I am a CWW night shift worker. So my wake and sleep times vary thruout the week.
I do force my self into prayer schedules though, on my work days I pray during my commute(no rosary ofcourse).

On my days off, I pray mondays and tuesdays in adoration.

Peace
Jermosh

Although I do not think that you should feel funny about taking out a rosary to pray with, if you would like to pray the rosary without your actual rosary, you can get the rosary on CD and play it in the car or a personal player if you travel by train or bus. You can get a rosary ring that looks just like a regular ring, or a small chaplet that you can put in your pocket. If it’s small enough, you can even keep it in your pocket while you pray. The rosary is such a wonderful reflection and meditation of the Gospels and I encourage you to make the effort.

I tried to set a time to be alone to pray each day without success. Being a parent does not always allow me to do this. But I do have to sleep every night, and I have formed a habit of praying before going to sleep. So, each night before bed, I pray at least one full mystery of the rosary. I sit there in the dark with God and Mary. It’s my favorite time to say Thank You for the day, and to say sorry for the times I have fallen. I pray at other times too. On line in the grocery store, while folding laundry and doing other mundane tasks. I pray the “Divine Mercy Chaplet” in the car. I have a CD that has the musical version and I love to sing it at the top of my lungs! Praying starts as a habit and turns into craving. Try it, it worked for me.

Joanie

 

[1962Missal]

SPOKENWORD:

My scheduled prayer time is 7am to 9am. I wake up at 6am and go to work at 9.30am. I travel every mourning to meet with my Father God in His house. Many will say you can pray from home but for me I choose to be in the House of the Lord. It all depends how close you want to come into His presence.

Wow. You know, if you want to get even closer, He is always waiting for you.

http://www.blessedsacramentcc.org/spirit/adoration/monstrnc.jpg

God bless,
Justin

 

[Mamamull]

Justin, I agree with the Holy hour and the Blessed Sacrament. A lovely sister once said, “I join in the communal prayers every day, but once each day, for an hour, it is Jesus and me – we work things out.”

Don’t listen to the temptation not to pray. It is easy for the enemy to tell you to go do something else. Why would it be easy to become more holy? Because we have to work our prayer life like an athlete in training.

St. John Bosco used to teach his students:

“Listen: there are two things the devil is deadly afraid of:
fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

Do you want Our Lord to grant you many graces? Visit him often.
Do you want Him to grant you only a few? Visit Him but seldom.
Do you want the devil to attack you? Rarely visit the Blessed Sacrament.
Do you want the devil to flee from you? Visit Jesus often.
Do you want to overcome the devil? Take refuge at Jesus’ feet.
Do you want to be overcome by the devil? Give up visiting Jesus.
Visiting the Blessed Sacrament is essential, my dear boys, if you want to overcome the devil. Therefore, make frequent visits to Jesus. If you do that, the devil will never prevail against you…”

 

[Teresa9]

Dear friend

Life is prayer, as God has you ever in mind, you keep Him ever in mind, throughout all of the day and night, in everything and everyword and action. This is prayer, this is a living prayer, this is life in communion with God, this is devotion, this is love, this is submission. Offer every moment of your life in every way, don’t close any part of your life from Him then He can take all parts of your life to Him and mould them to help you and work in, with and through you.

Of course talk to God, this is verbal prayer either spoken or in the thoughts, this prayer is important, but prayer of life is equally if not more important.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa