Why does praying make me tired?

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crystal_waters

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Does anybody else have this problem? I struggle to finish a prayer ( eg hail mary ) half way through i feel tired and want to stop…how can i get past this?
 
crystal_waters said:
Does anybody else have this problem? I struggle to finish a prayer ( eg hail mary ) half way through i feel tired and want to stop…how can i get past this?
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Is this any time of day that you begin to offer a prayer?
 
Sometimes, God removes from us one form of praying to introduce another form of praying. You can push through the tiredness or you can overcome it by adding a little life to your prayer, sing, dance, exercise, etc.

But just so you know, I often pray the rosary before bedtime and I rarely ever finish it. I just figure Mary is singing me to sleep like a Mother with her baby. I ask my angels to finish it for me.

Then again, if the devil is trying to discourage you, you don’t want to give in to him. If you have made a commitment to pray a certain way, then honor your commitment. If you commit to an hour of silent meditation then follow through no matter what the devil throws your way.

You might want to think of getting a spiritual director.
 
I see the tired feeling as a form of grace that God is giving me. It helps me to surrender and to receive grace. I have learned to keep up the devotion and the prayer for longer periods before “falling asleep”. I also want to point out that I do this twice a day every day, I pray until I feel Gods presence and then I keep praying until I am overcome. I receive very deep and profound healing from God in this way. It has changed my life. Think of it as falling asleep in Gods arms.

If i quit the prayer and make a decision to fall asleep it doesn’t create the healing from God that comes if I continue in my devotion all the way into sleep. I have tried both ways. I really can’t overstate how powerfully this has changed my life.

I am going to share an exceptional example but it is by no means normal for me and I do not believe that this kind of thing has to happen in order to benefit from what i have come to call-- falling asleep in God.

I was praying in this way and then sort of falling asleep and then waking up and praying again and this went on for a while. Then I began to feel Gods love and I kept sort of passing out/sleeping in it but every time I awoke the love would be stronger until I woke up the last time and was completely surrounded in white light and I was immersed in God’s Love. While I was in the love I didn’t have any thoughts at all there was just infinite Love and then it mellowed out a bit and I had a knowing-- it was so deep in me but I knew in the deepest possible way that Jesus is the savior and that the New Testament comes from him.

I often come out of this spiritually sleepy place filled with Gods peace and power. Think of Peter in Acts praying on the rooftop until he falls into a “trance.” Sometimes when i fall asleep in God it probably is just sleep but often it is not like sleep and created effects in me that sleep never did.
 
Same thing happens to me sometimes, especially if I have been long (for me) at prayer.

I just press on with my prayer, and if unsure of my completeness, then I simply pray it again, and again (and again)…😃

I usually wind up offering two or three prayers for the same thing sometimes, I’d rather do more than not enough.

I chalk it up to “senior moments”…🤷
 
I remember the first time I prayed the Rosary. I would sleep about halfway through it. But I kept trying to stay awake.
Eventually, I could successfully recite the five decades before falling asleep.
Just keep on trying and ask for help from God, Mary and/or the angels and saints.

One thing that really helps is praying at a certain time of the day. Try to avoid praying around midnight, especially because you’re going to be really tired. Of course, you can pray at any time and place.

Personally, I like to take naps right after school or during the day. That way, I am productive for the rest of the day and will probably stay awake during prayer time.
Also, avoid laying down during prayer. Try kneeling, sitting down or standing up. Whatever you do, stay put. 🙂
 
Michael57 said:
I just press on with my prayer, and if unsure of my completeness, then I simply pray it again, and again (and again)…😃

I usually wind up offering two or three prayers for the same thing sometimes, I’d rather do more than not enough.
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What is your definition of “enough” prayer?
There is no such thing as as enough prayer. :gopray:

If you get distracted, remember what Padre Pio said:
"Don’t be voluntarily distracted,” Padre Pio told her kindly, “but if you are distracted unintentionally, continue to pray, and you will have great merit, for Our Savior knows that you are not an angel praying to Him, but a poor woman. Go on praying without ceasing. And when you find it difficult to concentrate, don’t waste more time stopping to consider the why and the wherefore. It’s like a traveler who loses his way. As soon as he realizes he is on the wrong road, he immediately sets himself on the right road again. So you must continue to meditate without stopping to reflect on your lack of concentration.” :gopray:
Source
 
Eduardo06sp said:
What is your definition of “enough” prayer?
There is no such thing as as enough prayer. :gopray:

If you get distracted, remember what Padre Pio said:
"Don’t be voluntarily distracted,” Padre Pio told her kindly, “but if you are distracted unintentionally, continue to pray, and you will have great merit, for Our Savior knows that you are not an angel praying to Him, but a poor woman. Go on praying without ceasing. And when you find it difficult to concentrate, don’t waste more time stopping to consider the why and the wherefore. It’s like a traveler who loses his way. As soon as he realizes he is on the wrong road, he immediately sets himself on the right road again. So you must continue to meditate without stopping to reflect on your lack of concentration.” :gopray:
Source
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I think Padre Pio also said that if he had to start praying the Rosary from the beginning every time he was distracted he would never finish one Rosary during his lifetime.
 
thistle said:
I think Padre Pio also said that if he had to start praying the Rosary from the beginning every time he was distracted he would never finish one Rosary during his lifetime.
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Yes, I’ve actually read something along those lines before. I can’t find a quote anywhere though. 😦
 
Unfortunately, I find myself distracted very easily during prayer when things are going well for me. I have more focus when I have problems or petitions. I think saying prayers early in the morning before I get involved in the processes of the day helps.
 
Praying doesn’t make me tired, It helps me discover that I am tired. It puts me at peace by removing the cares and anxieties. Sleep is a good thing.
 
Vocal praying or reciting prayers isn’t the only form of praying. Another form is listening; listening to the Word of God through lectio divina for example or simply reading scripture and commentary on scripture. Yet another is liturgical (Liturgy of the Hours) where you “pray” the psalms. Then there is our work, which is a form of prayer; if done well, a pleasing offering to God.

I know I could never pray the entire rosary on my own without falling asleep. I rarely pray it. Instead I pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

Monks set a good model to follow by balancing liturgical prayer (LOTH), private prayer, “listening” prayer (lectio divina), adoration, and rosaries in community. Being human, some forms of prayer will work better for some, other forms for others.
 
crystal_waters said:
Does anybody else have this problem? I struggle to finish a prayer ( eg hail mary ) half way through i feel tired and want to stop…how can i get past this?
Click to expand...
I struggle with this too. In fact I’ve been like that my whole life really when I think about it. I think sometimes the Lord wants us to rest in prayer. Sometimes I am very focused and others I can barely pray at all. Lately, because of physical and emotional suffering I have had difficulty praying at all. I also have trouble with keeping focus on the prayer as my mind wanders. That’s just part of the way my brain works. I just keep on praying and don’t worry about all the parts I ‘missed’. It’s kind of like driving. Sometimes I can drive in autopilot and then ‘wake up’ so to speak and find myself wondering how I got here. But, I don’t turn around and drive back to where I was before because obviously I don’t need to. Somehow, the Lord got me threw it without me knowing. Give your struggle to him and offer it up.
 
crystal_waters said:
Does anybody else have this problem? I struggle to finish a prayer ( eg hail mary ) half way through i feel tired and want to stop…how can i get past this?
Click to expand...
Crystal Waters, this maybe a Sign your prayers are efficacious. Fr. Fortea calls this Canaliculus, a medical term for a small pore. You are the small pore that God’s graces flow through for the benefit of others. This is mild form of suffering along the line of victim souls.
Code: 
 This happens to people who  God answers their prayers.  It especially happens to those devoted to praying prayers of  deliverance for other people.

  This is a mystery of  our Faith.
 
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