Some questions about praying a Novena to St. Raphael

[P-Dub78]

Hi all,

Soon I am planning to pray a Novena to St. Raphael to seek a soul mate.

I’ve never done this before, and I have a few questions, so I can do it properly.

1. I found a specific prayer online to pray to him. It can be found here.

So my question is, do I need to say this exact prayer word for word? And if so, do I need to memorize the whole thing word for word?

Also, should I still pray to God about seeking a mate during and after the Novena?

1. If in fact I do need to say the prayer word for word, can I add things to it, such as what I am looking for in a girl? Or, should that be a separate prayer directly to God?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[P-Dub78]

Also, do I need to say other prayers before and/or after the Novena?