What is the longest you've prayed for non-stop?

  • Thread starter Thread starter goodcatholic
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

goodcatholic

Guest
Me? About an hour.
Maybe we don’t emphasise praying for a long time enough. Cant expect God to just send grace after 5 minute efforts.
I notice a typical thread on here might be “But God wont answer my prayers”. Yeah well how long did you pray? Patient prayer is important.
I’m impressed to read that some people have actually prayed all night. That’s inspirational. And what better way to deal with insomnia than pray, as well.
patient prayer, I like the sound of that…mmm
 
Last edited:
Around an hour and a half. That’s not a regular thing, but often it’s around an hour 1 day on the weekends… this is broken up with rosary, LOTH and other prayers.

I’m not so sure length matters, it’s more the faith you have in God. I think it’s better to pray ONE Our Father thoughtfully and reverently than 50 times babbling.
 
10 minutes? 12 tops. Long prayer may work for some, short prayer may work for others. I personally prefer to use a Basque ring which lends itself to shorter prayer multiple times throughout the day.
 
It takes me about 10-12 minutes to say the Rosary but like GoodCatholic, I think prayer can be listening also and I have had sessions that go well beyond an hour. I usually sleep very well those nights.

Also travelling around the Philippines and Asia I attend mass in languages I don’t know and this can help to focus on a continual prayer, especially if the church has an engaging traditional design. I was in Kochi India last year and Greece earlier this year and during mass (because you turn off the liturgy) you can open up in ‘listening prayer’ for most of the hour. I guess it would be similar to Holy Hours adoring the eucharist.
 
Last edited:
A bit over 3 hours. Adoration, and the next 2 people didn’t show. The lady that came in at 4 AM looked at the sign in sheet, looked at me and said, wow, you should see your halo!
 
goodcatholic said:
Me? About an hour.
Maybe we don’t emphasise praying for a long time enough. Cant expect God to just send grace after 5 minute efforts.
I notice a typical thread on here might be “But God wont answer my prayers”. Yeah well how long did you pray? Patient prayer is important.
I’m impressed to read that some people have actually prayed all night. That inspirational. And what better way to deal with insomnia than pray, as well.
patient prayer, I like the sound of that…mmm
Click to expand...
Actually, you can trust that God sends grace after a single moment’s thought directed His way. He’s generous like that. ♥️

I don’t thinks it matters how long you pray. For me what matters is how often you pray.

Even in the monastery, our prayer times were broken into segments of anywhere from 10 minutes (the 'little" hours of terce, sext, and none) to 45 minutes (for Matins, aka the office of readings).

I have no idea how long I’ve ever spent in prayer at one time. I just don’t think that way I guess. But I pray frequently.
 
Last edited:
goodcatholic said:
40.png
Gertabelle:
Actually, you can trust that God sends grace after a single moment’s thought
Click to expand...
I think you mean “can” send grace.
Click to expand...
No, I mean He will, and He does. He is far more generous than us minute-counting mortals.
 
Unless you’re God’s personal secretary, you cant know these things
 
Interesting to hear about the life of the poster behind the username. thanks.
 
I once did a combination of Rosary and Lectio Divina during Adoration that came to about 1.25-1.5 hours. I forget exactly how that happened. I think I got really meditative over Christ’s comment, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
abucs said:
It takes me about 10-12 minutes to say the Rosary
Click to expand...
I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m always a bit surprised by how short the Rosary is for others. Maybe I’m just really slow with the Hail Mary. (Before anyone asks, I only do five mysteries, not all 15-20.)
 
You mentioned threads about God not answering prayers. Some people have been praying for years for something, so it is not like everybody just prays for minutes and then just sits back and expect God to do everything.
 
You have not seen the threads on unanswered prayers, then. People ask whythey prayed but it was not granted.

Of course when you are praying for years and there is no answer in the affirmative, most people will say it probably is not God’s will, that is why the answer is no.1
 
Last edited:
I guess to continue with the listening prayer theme I am saying the Hail Mary but I am reaching out with my spirit to God during that time and meditating on the mystery.

So I guess the words fly very quickly for me because usually my mind is on something else.

That’s my excuse anyway. 😛
 
Last edited:
All night, non-stop. No sleep. For someone who I genuinely felt was in deep trouble. I believe I was led-and helped- to do it.
 
goodcatholic said:
Unless you’re God’s personal secretary, you cant know these things
Click to expand...
So how much do you think you have to do before God will deign to give your some grace? You’ve already said you don’t think five minutes is enough. How about ten? Maybe fifteen? Or does grace only get dispensed from the divine vending machine after we’ve put in 20 minutes?

🤔
 
I’ve done the all-night vigil for Two Hearts devotion a couple of times. It goes for about 5 hours, but they usually build in a break, or people take one. I tend to take my break before the scheduled “break time” because they put Adoration during the break time and I like to sit with Jesus, especially since some of the other people sit in the church with Jesus but they chatter to each other. I don’t think He minds so much because after all, those people are also sitting up half the night, but I feel like someone should be conversing just with Him.
 
That is like on my bucket list. Sorry that may come across as flippant but, it is something I need to do for my own salvation for starters.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top