Which prayers should I say?

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Murcury

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I returned home from searching (born Catholic, just haven’t met the best Catholics and it sent me astray) not too long ago and I have some things in my life I’m praying for. I won’t get into those things now and instead focus on my question. Since it’s the summer and I’m off of school, I have more time to pray.

Here is my daily prayers:
-A set of morning prayers in this little prayerbook I have
-A set of evening prayers
-Daily rosary
-Angelus (not perfectly on time, but I time it morning/afternoon/evening, I try my best)
-I just started the Chaplet of St. Michael today, I hope to keep it up
-I’ve been attending Daily Mass for over a week now. Last week I was able to keep Monday-Friday and this week, so far, I have kept the weekday masses. (I faltered with last Saturday’s morning Mass, but the week before that I went to Morning Mass)
-I might sometimes do a Litany or two or any other array of prayers I feel like.
-I always throw my needs and concerns when I talk to God before/during/after Mass.
-Novena to St. Valentine (relevant prayer intention on this forum)
-This isn’t a prayer but I wear a blessed St. Benedict Crucifix around my neck, as recommended by a priest

Now, I have a number of prayer intentions, which are the best prayers to add on (if I can, I’m looking for help) or what are the best prayers for the young in general? Some days I feel strong against Satan and prayerful. But today for example I felt weak later on in the day and hopeless. What are the best prayers to add to my daily prayers to strengthen me against Satan and to pray for my intentions?
 
I would recommend the rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Act of Contrition
 
Murcury said:
I returned home from searching (born Catholic, just haven’t met the best Catholics and it sent me astray) not too long ago and I have some things in my life I’m praying for. I won’t get into those things now and instead focus on my question. Since it’s the summer and I’m off of school, I have more time to pray.

Here is my daily prayers:
-A set of morning prayers in this little prayerbook I have
-A set of evening prayers
-Daily rosary
-Angelus (not perfectly on time, but I time it morning/afternoon/evening, I try my best)
-I just started the Chaplet of St. Michael today, I hope to keep it up
-I’ve been attending Daily Mass for over a week now. Last week I was able to keep Monday-Friday and this week, so far, I have kept the weekday masses. (I faltered with last Saturday’s morning Mass, but the week before that I went to Morning Mass)
-I might sometimes do a Litany or two or any other array of prayers I feel like.
-I always throw my needs and concerns when I talk to God before/during/after Mass.
-Novena to St. Valentine (relevant prayer intention on this forum)
-This isn’t a prayer but I wear a blessed St. Benedict Crucifix around my neck, as recommended by a priest

Now, I have a number of prayer intentions, which are the best prayers to add on (if I can, I’m looking for help) or what are the best prayers for the young in general? Some days I feel strong against Satan and prayerful. But today for example I felt weak later on in the day and hopeless. What are the best prayers to add to my daily prayers to strengthen me against Satan and to pray for my intentions?
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i would listion to followingtheway he/she has a good idea[SIGN][/SIGN]
 
You did mention that you mention your concerns to God when you are praying.
Have you considered making a gratitude list, and starting your prayers by thanking Him for all the blessings, great and small, in your life?

How about downloading the list of Mass readings for the day, reading those (or even just one) on your own, and asking yourself exactly what they mean to you in light of your own circumstances? How about taking one of those readings, especially if it describes an event, and picturing yourself in the scene described in the reading, right there along with what the Lord is saying and doing? Maybe picture yourself as someone in the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount, listening and munching on some fish and bread? Something like that. Or sitting along the banks of the Galilee, listening to Jesus preaching from the boat? Maybe going to Adoration, and meditating on something like this while you are there in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Have you thought about going outside to pray (as well as praying in church or at home?) Even sitting in a lawn chair and looking at the sky, feeling the warmth of the sun or the wind, can add a dimension to prayer that isn’t there when you aren’t in the elements.

These are just some ideas to “kick it up a notch,” so to speak, and make prayer and adoration even more special and more personal to you.
 
ask your spiritual director

pray as you can

it is far more important that you set aside regular times for prayer, than which formal prayers you choose.
 
Murcury said:
I returned home from searching (born Catholic, just haven’t met the best Catholics and it sent me astray) not too long ago and I have some things in my life I’m praying for. I won’t get into those things now and instead focus on my question. Since it’s the summer and I’m off of school, I have more time to pray.

Here is my daily prayers:
-A set of morning prayers in this little prayerbook I have
-A set of evening prayers
-Daily rosary
-Angelus (not perfectly on time, but I time it morning/afternoon/evening, I try my best)
-I just started the Chaplet of St. Michael today, I hope to keep it up
-I’ve been attending Daily Mass for over a week now. Last week I was able to keep Monday-Friday and this week, so far, I have kept the weekday masses. (I faltered with last Saturday’s morning Mass, but the week before that I went to Morning Mass)
-I might sometimes do a Litany or two or any other array of prayers I feel like.
-I always throw my needs and concerns when I talk to God before/during/after Mass.
-Novena to St. Valentine (relevant prayer intention on this forum)
-This isn’t a prayer but I wear a blessed St. Benedict Crucifix around my neck, as recommended by a priest

Now, I have a number of prayer intentions, which are the best prayers to add on (if I can, I’m looking for help) or what are the best prayers for the young in general? Some days I feel strong against Satan and prayerful. But today for example I felt weak later on in the day and hopeless. What are the best prayers to add to my daily prayers to strengthen me against Satan and to pray for my intentions?
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I think it’s good to keep it simple, so you’re focused on the prayers rather than the number of prayers you need to say. St Michael prayer is good 🙂 the Rosary is excellent, - even if you do nothing else, do the Rosary 🙂 (and daily Mass!). The Divine Mercy chaplet is also very powerful, since Jesus gave it to us Himself, through St Faustina.

God bless 🙂
 
Greetings and Welcome back to the Church!!

I would first advise you to read what the Catechism (one place it’s available online in searchable form: scborromeo.org/ccc.htm) has to say on prayer, it’s fairly lengthy. Just some examples to contemplate.

2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

That is, prayer is not a magic ritual, specific types of prayer or specific prayers may be more beneficial/productive because they assist you in raising your mind and heart to God. Not because of any power or special attribute due to the specific wording used, number of times said etc.

2559 "Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."2 But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart?3 He who humbles himself will be exalted;4 humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought,"5 are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."6

Note the CC points out that it is not the performance of specific prayers, but the state of our heart in prayer that is important.

2562 Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.

2726 In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they “don’t have the time.” Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves alone.

So, I personally do pray the Rosary and find it benefical to me because through repetition it helps me to focus on God and clear other distractions from my mind. When I’m down, discouraged, I find contemplating both the sorrowful and joyous mysteries uplifting. What Christ was willing to go through for us, the glory and joy that awaits us. I found a pamphlet with prayers to the Holy Spirit that I also like because I find I’m less distracted when using it. My mind tends to wander in free form/informal prayer/contemplation, unless I have very specific intentions or concepts to focus on.

I hope the above makes sense, and that the advice of all here help you to achieve a rich prayer life.
 
Try to say your rosary and divine mercy chaplet 3 times a day. St. Padre pio said his rosary 17 times a day.

In addition you can recite the divine office or the liturgy of the hours, and the little office of the blessed virgin mary seven times a day

Divine Office
divineoffice.org
yourdivineoffice.blogspot.com

Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
liturgies.net/Liturgies/Catholic/LittleOffice1.htm

Matins (during the night, at midnight with some), sometimes referred to as Vigils or Nocturns, or in monastic usage the Night Office; in the Breviary of Paul VI it has been replaced by the Office of Readings
Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)
Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)
Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)
Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 p.m.)
None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)
Vespers or Evening Prayer (“at the lighting of the lamps”, generally at 6 p.m.)
Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)

You can follow a carthusian monk/nun schedule of prayers
chartreux.org/en/schedule.html

Divine office is basically reciting 3 psalms (from your bible) at your convenience, every three hours, end each psalm with Glory be to the Father. That’s what I do.

By reciting these, Jesus will help you to conquer the enemy, the world, the flesh, and the devil, and wicked men.

If you are still confused about the divine office, you can use this magazine called magnificat
magnificat.com/flipbookus/holy_week/index.asp

Try it:thumbsup:
 
Welcome back to the Church!!!

First of all, be thankful for all God has blessed you with.

Be prayerful-- focus on the prayers, not how many. The Rosary is a wonderful devotion.

Get with other Catholics to grow in your faith.

God bless you!
 
puzzleannie said:
ask your spiritual director

pray as you can

it is far more important that you set aside regular times for prayer, than which formal prayers you choose.
Click to expand...
I don’t have a spiritual director. In fact, I’ve never heard of them until I came to this forum.
hazcompat said:
If grace moves you consider The Liturgy of the Hours.

divineoffice.org/

peace
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Do I have to pray all of them or can I just pray one or two in a day (this goes for any Liturgy of the Hours, Divine Office stuff)? I usually go to bed at 11:30 PM (not entirely my fault) and wake up at 7 AM on summer weekdays (for morning Mass).
catmom50 said:
Welcome back to the Church!!!

First of all, be thankful for all God has blessed you with.

Be prayerful-- focus on the prayers, not how many. The Rosary is a wonderful devotion.

Get with other Catholics to grow in your faith.

God bless you!
Click to expand...
That’s a whole story and a half in itself (Get with other Catholics to grow in your faith). If you want I can PM you and tell you all about it (if you’re curious), but still thanks for the advice. 🙂

Thanks for the advice everyone. 🙂
 
I would really like to hear your story-- I am interested.

Again, I’m glad you are back with the Church!! Keep praying-- some of the other posts had good recommendations also. If you can talk to the priest at the church where you attend Mass, that would be good too.

God bless you, Catmom
 
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