Weird question about prayer?

[eli1118]

Friends,
Is it wrong to carry a bag everywhere I go with holy cards, prayer journal, etc so that I can pray every chance I get? This came into my mind b/c I thought that maybe during my break at work or at a tstoplight etc I could pull out my holy card etc.
But is it wrong to do it at work? etc.
I will say a hail mary or our father when I am walking etc but sometimes I would like to write something in my journal or pray to a particular sait using the holy card?
So, I need suggestions. I don’t want to wait 'till the end of the day b/c I am a working mom of a 2year old and sometimes at night we pass out!!!
Thanks and blessings,
eli

 

[PBP]

Your work is spiritual. I dont carry prayer cards but I often think of GOD through out my work day. Daily prayer and meditation is essential to living the Christian life.
Hope your days are great.

 

[metryrunner]

Prayer is talking to God, you don’t need a script. You should do it whenever you feel the inclination. I talk to Him everyday asking for His help to live His Word and to give me the strength and courage to accept his will. At Adoration, I have a prayer list and also religious readings. But, during the day I “wing it”. God Bless.

 

[Joannm]

I too have a prayer bag and I carry it with me all the time. Well, not when I am shopping, or at the movies, or visiting people. In my prayer bag in my LOTH, a small bible with just the NT and Psalms, a book of the scriptural rosary, my book on meditations on Divine Mercy, a commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict, a monthly commentary on the daily Mass readings, several prayer cards, a rosary, a pen and my journal. It sound like a lot but they are all small books and fit in the bag which is a knock off of those popular quilted bags (I forget the designer’s name).

 

[Eucharisted]

Friends,
Is it wrong to carry a bag everywhere I go with holy cards, prayer journal, etc so that I can pray every chance I get? This came into my mind b/c I thought that maybe during my break at work or at a tstoplight etc I could pull out my holy card etc.
But is it wrong to do it at work? etc.
I will say a hail mary or our father when I am walking etc but sometimes I would like to write something in my journal or pray to a particular sait using the holy card?
So, I need suggestions. I don’t want to wait 'till the end of the day b/c I am a working mom of a 2year old and sometimes at night we pass out!!!
Thanks and blessings,
eli

Your intentions are good, but remember that we must not do what we want but what God wills. You can certainly pray everywhere and at all times, and Saint Paul exhorts us to give thanks in every circumstance, and thanksigiving is prayer. But it dose not take books or journals to prayer - rather, it takes only one thing: the will. Emotions do not play a part in prayer, but only the will dose, so even if you feel like you don’t want to pray, yet pray anyways, your prayer is true and good, and indeed, the emotional disliking of prayer, far from removing the value of prayer, actually increases it, because the emotion is a trial sent by God for your greater good. It is a grace, and you can offer it up to the Lord. It is always good to renew and strengthen your soul in the Fountain of Mercy which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, because we human beings, finite we are, get weary of prayer and thinking of God, but with God’s Mercy we can do all things, for God is goodness itself.

If you feel urged to write - like I do at times - offer up the feeling to God and ask Him to accomplish His Will in you, and if He wills it, you’ll write at the appropriate time. If, however, the feeling passes and later you don’t feel like writing, than know that the feeling was not a divine inspiration but a trial, a cross, a share in the Cross, sent for your greater good. Give thanks, than, for God in His Mercy sent you the trial, and indeed, all of His works are crowned with Mercy. For God is love, mercy, justice, holiness - in a word, He is goodness.

I strongly suggest that you attach to all your prayers and offerings the intention of “for the conversion of sinners”, for by praying and sacrificing for the conversion of sinners we comfort Jesus, who is plunged into mortal (deadly, deathly) agony for every soul lost to the fires of hell, just as He was sorrowful unto death in the garden, and by praying for Mercy for sinners - by asking God to give to sinners the grace of conversion, which is a gift of His Mercy, as every grace is a gift of the Divine Mercy - we win many souls for Jesus: the dying, the enemies of Christ and of His Church, and we ourselves.

 

[Monica4316]

Your intentions are good, but remember that we must not do what we want but what God wills. You can certainly pray everywhere and at all times, and Saint Paul exhorts us to give thanks in every circumstance, and thanksigiving is prayer. But it dose not take books or journals to prayer - rather, it takes only one thing: the will. Emotions do not play a part in prayer, but only the will dose, so even if you feel like you don’t want to pray, yet pray anyways, your prayer is true and good, and indeed, the emotional disliking of prayer, far from removing the value of prayer, actually increases it, because the emotion is a trial sent by God for your greater good. It is a grace, and you can offer it up to the Lord. It is always good to renew and strengthen your soul in the Fountain of Mercy which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, because we human beings, finite we are, get weary of prayer and thinking of God, but with God’s Mercy we can do all things, for God is goodness itself.

If you feel urged to write - like I do at times - offer up the feeling to God and ask Him to accomplish His Will in you, and if He wills it, you’ll write at the appropriate time. If, however, the feeling passes and later you don’t feel like writing, than know that the feeling was not a divine inspiration but a trial, a cross, a share in the Cross, sent for your greater good. Give thanks, than, for God in His Mercy sent you the trial, and indeed, all of His works are crowned with Mercy. For God is love, mercy, justice, holiness - in a word, He is goodness.

I strongly suggest that you attach to all your prayers and offerings the intention of “for the conversion of sinners”, for by praying and sacrificing for the conversion of sinners we comfort Jesus, who is plunged into mortal (deadly, deathly) agony for every soul lost to the fires of hell, just as He was sorrowful unto death in the garden, and by praying for Mercy for sinners - by asking God to give to sinners the grace of conversion, which is a gift of His Mercy, as every grace is a gift of the Divine Mercy - we win many souls for Jesus: the dying, the enemies of Christ and of His Church, and we ourselves.

 

[stbruno]

Whatever you do that leads you to prayer is a good thing. If someone is evangelized when they see you pull out your prayer cards, that is even a blessing you are unaware of. I know when my family publicly says grace in a restaurant, I am aware that others notice us…and that’s a good thing even though it is unintentional. The point is…just pray, at all times. Prayer is what the world is lacking. So never question your methodology…that’s your choice. God is just glad to hear from you and I when we do.

 

[eli1118]

Thank you very much for all of your thoughts and suggestions.
Blessings,
Eli

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hi Eli. How’s my fellow “Angelino”? lol.

I don’t carry a prayer bag, myself. But I’m always “well-armed” when I leave the house. I always have a Rosary, my Pardon Crucifix, my Scapular and very often, my prayer book with me.

In addition, my car is equipped with a Franciscan Rosary, a small statue of Our Lady and various medals and holy cards (St. Michael, St. Benedict, St. Christopher). And a small bottle of Holy Water.

Nothing wrong with being prepared for any necessity! I think your prayer bag is an awesome idea!

God bless.

MV

 

[eli1118]

Hola MarieVeronica!!!
I am okay–have the Monday blahs but thankful for you guys on this thread.
What type of prayer book do you have? I like the holy water idea for the car–never thought of that.
Where do you have Our Lady’s stature in the car?
I know so many questions!!!

Blessings,
Eli

 

[MarieVeronica]

Hola MarieVeronica!!!
I am okay–have the Monday blahs but thankful for you guys on this thread.
What type of prayer book do you have? I like the holy water idea for the car–never thought of that.
Where do you have Our Lady’s stature in the car?
I know so many questions!!!

Blessings,
Eli

Eli… the Monday “blahs” and I are well acquainted. lol.

My prayer book is called “Catholic Book of Prayers”. I got it at Barnes and Noble bookstore. They have a surprisingly big selection of Catholic books, I’ve found.

My little statue of Our Blessed Mother, sits right on my dashboard. The weird thing about this statue… I have no clue where it came from! I found it in my curio cabinet one day. And no one remembers where it came from. Weird, huh?

But it’s the perfect size for my dashboard. I stuck a piece of velcro on it. And the velcro holds the statue securely.

My sister (back home, in L.A.) tells me it’s been VERY hot the last few days. Kinda weird, for this time of year. She lives in Redondo Beach.

MV

 

[3Sanctus]

Where does one find these small statues? I have a friend who used to have a statue of Saint Michael in his car, a rather small one made out of resin or plastic - or something like that. It seems these would be a nice addition to my little home altar but I don’t know where to get them.

In Love,
Stephen

 

[hamburglar]

Not only is not wrong, I think it is a wonderful idea.

I would, however, advise that you find an opportunity during the day to spend 30 minutes or so with God in silence. Uniting our prayers by saying the Rosary can be great, but we also need time to just LISTEN to God.

Perhaps you can find time on your lunch break. Or perhaps after you get out of work, go to a church and spent some time with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[3Sanctus]

Oh, and as for actually providing constructive (name removed by moderator)ut for the discussion, lol…

I’d highly suggest reading Way of a Pilgrim, a book on the Jesus Prayer. Nothing seems to help me keep with Him throughout the day like praying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” throughout the day, keeping that prayer in my mind and in my heart. I can use it no matter where I am or what I’m doing, and it keeps me focused on Him and from letting my mind wander where it shouldn’t.

Praying throughout the day isn’t so much about having what you need to pray with you, it’s about turning every moment of life and every deed you do into prayer by offering it up to Our Lord in love. Prayer is about making every moment a moment you have shared with God. You can let him watch you from Heaven, as if from a distance, or you can walk hand-in-hand with Him through life and personally share everything with Him the way a child wants nothing more than to share with their mommy and daddy.

“Mommy, look what I can do! Daddy, look at me!” Sound familiar?

In His Resurection,
Stephen

 

[MarieVeronica]

Where does one find these small statues? I have a friend who used to have a statue of Saint Michael in his car, a rather small one made out of resin or plastic - or something like that. It seems these would be a nice addition to my little home altar but I don’t know where to get them.

In Love,
Stephen

Stephen, you can probably find one anyplace that sells Catholic gifts. Yes, I too… remember a time when these little dashboard statues were much more common, than they are now.

In Los Angeles, (which traditionally has a large Catholic population)… you’d see them all the time on peoples dashboards.

Try EWTN Religious catalogue. Maybe they have some… God bless.

ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/

 

[justinkolo]

I’ll admit to praying the Office of Readings…at work so maybe I need a job that keeps me busier

Not to plug universalis.com too much but it’s the next best thing to a real breviary Really handy because there’s nothing to carry around. Though I keep my Rosary around too just in case. Still need to do better with saying grace because I always forget