Taking a nap while in prayer = resting in the Lord?

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Str84ward

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Hello,

I was wondering if a priest or an expert can answer this question.

I try to pray at 3pm daily. Sometimes, I take a nap while I play the Divine Mercy Chaplet (not intentionally taking it) on Youtube, and I justify this as “resting in the Lord”. Even when I visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I can’t help but to feel warm and secure in His presence that I sometimes decide to take a very short nap (sitting of course); a break for the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Is this ok? Sin? Or bad manners?
 
No sin, certainly. The Chaplet is a private devotion and you’re not bound to it… I would not consider napping during the devotion as actually completing the devotion itself, but there’s nothing wrong with it, and it certainly is some type of devotion if you find peace with the Lord while doing so. So I would not think it bad manners, either. It’s a private thing.

I’m not certain on proper etiquette before the Blessed Sacrament, particularly if you are signed up for that hour. If you’re not “on duty”, I don’t think there’s any wrong. No comment about napping when on duty, though.
 
Str84ward said:
Hello,

I was wondering if a priest or an expert can answer this question.

I try to pray at 3pm daily. Sometimes, I take a nap while I play the Divine Mercy Chaplet (not intentionally taking it) on Youtube, and I justify this as “resting in the Lord”. Even when I visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, I can’t help but to feel warm and secure in His presence that I sometimes decide to take a very short nap (sitting of course); a break for the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Is this ok? Sin? Or bad manners?
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Hi!

…how old are you? I mean, are you a senior citizen? Do you suffer from one or several illnesses? Are you on heavy medication?

…mom used to go to bed with a Rosary… she would pray and fall asleep in prayer… as soon as she would wake up… she would continue to pray… all night long… this was her dance!

I have closed my eyes many times while in prayer… in Church, after Mass is over, it can become quite tranquil and removed from the world… so yes, I have lapsed out of consciousness once or twice…

…now, if you purposefully choose to nap so that you won’t put up with that pesky time spent in prayers… well, the sin is obvious: omission and rejection of God’s presence.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
I’m not a senior citizen, young adult.
jcrichton said:
Hi!

…how old are you? I mean, are you a senior citizen? Do you suffer from one or several illnesses? Are you on heavy medication?

…mom used to go to bed with a Rosary… she would pray and fall asleep in prayer… as soon as she would wake up… she would continue to pray… all night long… this was her dance!

I have closed my eyes many times while in prayer… in Church, after Mass is over, it can become quite tranquil and removed from the world… so yes, I have lapsed out of consciousness once or twice…

…now, if you purposefully choose to nap so that you won’t put up with that pesky time spent in prayers… well, the sin is obvious: omission and rejection of God’s presence.

Maran atha!

Angel
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"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What if one just wanted to rest in the real presence of the Lord? Like a child weaned in his mother’s arms (Psalm 131), I take brief naps sometimes when soaking in His presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
 
“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”

Nothing wrong with a little caffeine jag while you speak with the Lord. A double shot of Mystic Monk coffee before your dialog with the Divine might just be exactly what you need.

mysticmonkcoffee.com/

As they say: “Real monks. Real good coffee.”
 
It’s contemplation. You wake up and keep going, don’t you? Your gaurdian angel picks up the slack…
 
I’ve heard that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary, then your Guardian Angel finishes it for you.

Try not to fall asleep, and accept tiredness as a suffering for the holy souls. But, if you fall asleep, carry on after you wake up! There’s no sin in sleep!
 
Str84ward said:
I’m not a senior citizen, young adult.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What if one just wanted to rest in the real presence of the Lord? Like a child weaned in his mother’s arms (Psalm 131), I take brief naps sometimes when soaking in His presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
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Hi!

…I offered the first part because it is a human condition (dozing off); I also noted that as long as it is not an escape from partaking in prayer or a devotional vigil… I don’t see a problem with it…

Since you mentioned that you are a young adult… this could be part of your prayer niche–something that you do that is uniquely you!

Maran atha!

Angel
 
LoyalViews said:
I’ve heard that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary, then your Guardian Angel finishes it for you.
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My mom used to say that.

The time from about 2 to 5 pm tends to be a sleepy time for a lot of people, me included. It has to do with metabolic cycles. If you are in your own home, I don’t see a problem with saying some prayers as part of a short nap, but given that you aren’t a senior citizen or on medication (either thing can cause a lot of dozing on and off all day long), if you want to do some serious praying, pick another time of day and try to finish the whole chaplet for example without dozing off. I often pray the Rosary, the Divine Mercy, or the Holy Face Chaplet while walking for exercise, or while driving, and both activities tend to keep me awake.

I do NOT recommend falling asleep in the Adoration chapel. You don’t want to be like Peter, James and John who dozed off while Jesus was wanting them to keep him company in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was unhappy with that even though he realized “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (plus, they had all just eaten a big dinner and it was the middle of the night - neither of which applies at 3 pm). Apart from sleeping not being the “adoration” you’re supposed to do in there, you might accidentally snore or even fall off your chair, both of which would be very disturbing to any other adorers present. Take your “nap in the Lord” in the privacy of your own home.
 
LoyalViews said:
I’ve heard that if you fall asleep saying the Rosary, then your Guardian Angel finishes it for you.

Try not to fall asleep, and accept tiredness as a suffering for the holy souls. But, if you fall asleep, carry on after you wake up! There’s no sin in sleep!
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👍
 
We cannot help being human. Even the disciples couldn’t help falling asleep despite our LORD’s anguish.

Ideally it would not be an issue, but ideal went poof right after the chick talked to the snakes.

ICXC NIKA
 
Just to clarify, I am not a priest or an expert. BUT, 😛 when I went to confession, I mentioned that I would sometimes fall asleep while praying. The priest said that it wasn’t a problem and added “Besides, what could be more wonderful than falling asleep in our Father’s arms?”
Another priest said during a homily that if you fall asleep at Adoration, you probably needed it and not to worry about it. The phrase he uses often, “The Holy Spirit still shows up.”
I hope this helps! 🙂
 
I was feeling guilty for falling asleep every time I sit down to pray. About the only way I can stay awake is walk, and pray, walk and pray. But I guess the Lord knows how tired I am… 😃
 
Franciscan_Way said:
Another priest said during a homily that if you fall asleep at Adoration, you probably needed it and not to worry about it. The phrase he uses often, “The Holy Spirit still shows up.”
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I would imagine this happens especially at those chapels where they have the true 24-hour perpetual adoration, so people are coming in there at 3 or 4 in the morning to spend an hour.
 
If someone falls asleep so readily that this is a repetitive issue, they may need to consider that they might suffer from sleep deprivation.

ICXC NIKA
 
I fall asleep at night praying. Usually I work through the words of one prayer trying to get them right, or learning them. I have 3 prayers to learn ATM. I am a light sleeper and wake a bit through the night. I wake with that prayer, and continue it. It’s kind of a nice exercise my night time self does. I am usually awake around 3 am or 4am and do the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. One night at this time I was awake and had just finished praying the Chaplet, a car crashed into the front paddock with 1 young life lost, and 2 that walked away uninjured.

You just never know where your prayers are going to be useful. Whether fully awake, or dozing off. I figure it’s all good.
 
petra22 said:
I was feeling guilty for falling asleep every time I sit down to pray. About the only way I can stay awake is walk, and pray, walk and pray. But I guess the Lord knows how tired I am… 😃
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Hi, Petra!

…after you finish praying, do you get a surge of energy and turn on the tv or text/yap till the cows hit the hey?

…I’ve witness people fall asleep and the second that the prayer/novena/Bible reading is over they rise to life…

Maran atha!

Angel
 
Get a copy of Treasure in Clay by Bishop Sheen. He did that sometimes too.
 
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