Your way to pray?

[FullOfThought]

I was just wondering how you pray for others and yourself?
How often do you pray the rosary?
Do you say it with the scriptures and each mystery?
Do you use chaplets?
Am I missing out on any other amazing ways to pray?
Do you leave time to hear answers?
Do you read the Bible?
Do you address Our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit individually?

Yesterday at before mass started I watched this man praying, he had his eyes closed, a look of complete peace on his face and a smile… he was glowing! I want that too!!

 

[LSK]

I am a Novitiate in the Order of Preaches (Lay Chapter). I pray the Rosary and the Liturgy of the Hours every day. I do love the Divine Mercy Chaplet and I pray the prayer of St Michael the Archangel after Mass. I am also in recovery from Alcoholism and so pray what we refer to as the 3rd Step Prayer and the 7th Step prayer every morning and every night.

It is a discipline. Sometimes I feel like I am ‘in the zone’ and other times I think, “No one is listening”.

 

[jfanning]

I have a ritual in the morning, evening, and night. But the basics is the Rosary once a day and the Liturgy of the Hours three times a day (morning, afternoon, and night).

 

[Nelka]

Same prayer every morning.

 

[findingmyself08]

I was just wondering how you pray for others and yourself?
How often do you pray the rosary?
Do you say it with the scriptures and each mystery?
Do you use chaplets?
Am I missing out on any other amazing ways to pray?
Do you leave time to hear answers?
Do you read the Bible?
Do you address Our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit individually?

Yesterday at before mass started I watched this man praying, he had his eyes closed, a look of complete peace on his face and a smile… he was glowing! I want that too!!

Most of my prayer is done through journaling because I find it easier to concentrate on what and how I would like to pray. It also helps me to focus.

When I pray for others, I will sometimes list their names and ask for the intercession of Mary, the saints, and God to help them in their time of need. Or if I am praying for something more personal for someone I know, I will ask for special blessings or graces upon that person (such as, May so-and-so find a job that will help her with bills). When I pray for myself, I often begin by thanking God for the blessings he has bestowed on me before moving into my personal intentions.

I am trying to get into the habit of praying the rosary at least once a day and then maybe move into a routine where I pray it twice a day. I just started this recently and still struggle to remember to pray it.

I don’t necessarily say it with the scriptures, but I did find a helpful guide that I use to help me focus on the mysteries found here: rosary-center.org/howto.htm. I’m also in the process of memorizing each set of mysteries.

When I use chaplets, I often use the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

I’m sure there are many other prayers you could use, but one of my favorite prayers is the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.

I often will use some time to allow the Holy Spirit to enter in. I don’t necessarily expect answers, but I try to allow some quiet in my soul to allow the opportunity.

I have been trying to work into a routine to read at least one psalm a night. From there I might move to Proverbs, but I do find reflection on passages from the Bible to be helpful toward my spiritual growth.

Sometimes I do, but often I just use the more general “Lord” to plead with the entire Godhead.

 

[Kelfa28]

I was just wondering how you pray for others and yourself?

I have a daily routine of prayer that is both specific and general. In regards to who I pray for…I usually pray for myself first, then my direct family (husband, kids), then parents, in-laws and siblings (and anything specific like conversions, healthy pregnancies, health issues etc.), then friends or other relatives, then souls in purgatory (specifics included by name), then general worldly issues such as abortion, vocations and such. I usually ask for St. Mary’s intercession and will say Hail Mary.

How often do you pray the rosary?

This is something I’ve been trying to concentrate on but just haven’t found the time…with a newborn, school, military obligations, new house and whatever else the world has decided to throw at me that day.
I used to be quite dedicated to praying it daily but that fell by the wayside the day I gave birth and became a SAHM with a host of other obligations.
If I can’t get my rosary beads handy…I’ll try to pray a few mysteries without it or I’ll go through the mysteries and read them on my computer. There are several great websites that have them all handy.

Do you say it with the scriptures and each mystery?

Yes, but I would help myself with the web page handy so I could read them.

Do you use chaplets?

I’m still very brand-new to the faith and will have to look that up…not sure what a chaplet is…

Am I missing out on any other amazing ways to pray?

Probably not…I’m fairly simple and no-nonsense with my prayers.

Do you leave time to hear answers?

Yes…when I’m praying on my own time…especially before I go to bed at night. I don’t when I’m at Mass…usually because I’ll work through my prayers in the pew and then need to attend to my LO

Do you read the Bible?

I was working my way through a chronological bible my MIL gave me…you would read each assigned section a day and you could get through the whole bible in a year…sadly this also fell by the wayside once I had my baby girl.

Do you address Our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit individually?

Yes…I usually ask God for forgiveness, Jesus for thanks, and for the Holy Spirit to fill me.

Yesterday at before mass started I watched this man praying, he had his eyes closed, a look of complete peace on his face and a smile… he was glowing! I want that too!!

Very cool!

 

[losh14]

I always appreciate this question.
As a working husband and father of two small children, I’m exhausted most of the time. My prayers tend to be to the point, often relying upon formal prayer because it’s true, reliable and I may not be able to put together a cogent thought for free-form prayer when I have time to pray (usually in traffic, between meetings, that brief period after all the chores are done and my take-home-work is finished until the youngest wakes up to eat or have a diaper changed).

I do not pray the rosary, not for lack of time but rather because I do not feel a devotion to Mary. I’d like to begin praying the Jesus Rosary (same idea, but have septets of Jesus Prayer instead of decades of Hail Mary), and your question is as good a reason as any for me to begin.

I pray a triplet of the Our Father, Anima Christi, and Come Holy Spirit. This set of prayers allows me to focus on each Person of the Trinity individually. I’ve added some petitions to the Anima Christi for specific intentions, following advice of my pastor, and I’ve heard several versions of the Come Holy Spirit so that I’ve amended it as well for my own specific intentions. I pray this triplet three or four times a day, always in the morning to consecrate my day (often when I get to work), and always at night when my kids go to bed.

I often say small prayers of thanksgiving or asking for patience or understanding.

I always spend time on my knees praying for my family, right after my kids go to bed. This is where I feel like I need the most help and can learn the most from my Father about being a father.

I often read a few lines of Scripture, just to set my mind where it needs to be. I find great comfort in Scripture, and often great reproof when I’ve sinned. I used to keep a more formal schedule of Bible study but I just can’t right now. Or rather, I let other things get in the way.

You mentioned using silence in prayer - a wonderful idea. Sometimes when my mind is noisy, I calm it by repeating the psalm in my signature.

Yesterday at before mass started I watched this man praying, he had his eyes closed, a look of complete peace on his face and a smile… he was glowing! I want that too!!

Peace is truly found in surrender to the Lord.

 

[choose_to_love]

For daily prayer, I try to follow the ACTS model: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication. Adoration - - praising God for his creation, for His Incarnation, passion, suffering, faithfulness to His covenant, etc. Contrition - - where I’ve messed up. Thanksgiving- - for all the different blessings I have, usually starting with my spouse, family, Church to provide sacraments and guide us, for our country with its ability to worship freely, in peace and relative prosperity, etc. Supplication - - prayers for my family, CAF friends, etc., and ususally me last. Now I wish I could say I do this every day.

We pray a family rosary at night, each kid leads a decade along with my bride and I. We have started doing one decade as a scriptural rosary.

We have made a commitment to once a week adoration, and I try to make that almost all, or mainly, listening.

I try to use short prayers, like the Jesus prayer or a short psalm (‘create in me a clean heart, O Lord’) to re-center during the work day.

We have just started one night a week for Scriptural reading, where my bride and I will read together from the Bible, probably the Gospels first.

 

[Edward_H]

Several, many ways. Morning offering, fixed period of mental prayer (conversational, like a family chat… These can be kick started with a good spiritual book, or by Scripture passages), short aspirations at different times of the day…My Lord and My All…perhaps before starting a new period of work. The angelus at noon. Offering your work in conversation with God. The Rosary.

As many ways as we can say I love you to our spouse we can pray to God.

 

[Greg_N]

Every living moment I strive to comprehend that God is sustaining (not only me) but every other living and non-living form within His vast creation; He is the musician, and the universe is His music…
In realizing this, I have found great peace within my life.
I also pray the Rosary every day, which at times seems insufficient as it’s only a mere 10/15 minutes of my day, but has kept me grounded thus far and undoubtedly given me grace beyond my own awareness.

God Bless you

 

[Blenderx]

**I was just wondering how you pray for others and yourself? **

Spontaneous prayers throughout the day and sometimes set prayers like for the Holy Souls. Also prayer of the Pious Union of St. Joseph daily which is for the suffering and dying.

**How often do you pray the rosary? **

I aim for daily, and sometimes I am more faithful to that than others, which is something I need to work on.

**Do you say it with the scriptures and each mystery? **

? I know the mysteries by heart and sometimes I have the scriptures and pictures etc. in front of me and sometimes not but I always meditate on the mysteries. Sometimes I meditate on other scripture verses or sacred mysteries while praying the rosary too, which is very nice for me. The rosary is a very versatile prayer.

**Do you use chaplets? **

Yes, the chaplet of Divine Mercy and I’m learning others to pray now and then.

Am I missing out on any other amazing ways to pray?

I don’t know what you do or don’t do but prayer of recollection throughout the day is an excellent practice (if you haven’t read Practice of the Presence of God by Br. Lawrence it is a must read and very simple and beautiful!) and I also enjoy praying litanies, especially with my husband, who finds meditative prayers like the rosary difficult and unappealing. I like the Jesus prayer and I also pray the Little Office of the BVM at times. I often pick a mystery or verse each day and meditate on that as I go throughout my day. Or frequently I take the Our Father and meditate on each line, bit by bit, which is also very fruitful and easily done throughout the day.

Do you leave time to hear answers?

I stop and contemplate.

Do you read the Bible?

Yes. I aim to read and meditate on it every day but that doesn’t usually happen.

Do you address Our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit individually?

Yes, usually spontaneously. Most of the time its to God in general or to Jesus through Mary.

Yesterday at before mass started I watched this man praying, he had his eyes closed, a look of complete peace on his face and a smile… he was glowing! I want that too!!

Its a very good thing to want, but its also good to remember that God is equally, if not more pleased with our prayers when we have to struggle through them without any ease or consolation. It is only purer, more disinterested love that can drive such prayer. So sometimes He shines His face upon us and lets us feel the warmth, other times it seems as if He’s hiding completely from us and we have to go looking for Him in anguish, but really, He’s closer than ever, ya know?

 

[thunder_619]

Hi everyone! Sorry to bother, but I have a quick question. Does the way we pray matter? What I mean is that if praying the rosary is more powerful than “talking to God” or reciting any other prayer? And when we pray, do we have to be on our knees or can we relax? Because at night, before I go to sleep, I just lay on my bed and pray.

 

[Edward_H]

Hi everyone! Sorry to bother, but I have a quick question. Does the way we pray matter? What I mean is that if praying the rosary is more powerful than “talking to God” or reciting any other prayer? And when we pray, do we have to be on our knees or can we relax? Because at night, before I go to sleep, I just lay on my bed and pray.

Well look at how Jesus prayed…he used the Psalms while doing other things, like carrying or hanging on the Cross…and prayed alone, in quiet. He prayed with His friends. Most importantly I think he taught us to pray as a son, or a child of God. He gave us a prayer with a form, the Our Father.

I don’t think there is one best way…we should pray always and learn to adapt to our circumstances. Sometimes the Rosary is a great way to break out of only self directed prayer, offering up parts of it for others, for other intentions, getting our conversation with God off our selfish selves. Mental prayer is more conversational…"Lord, I don’t have much to offer you today, but let’s chat anyway…now about this upcoming family vacation…what should we keep in mind…won’t you give us time to grow as a family…how can I serve my family on the vacation. ".

Prayer is part of your great love affair.

 

[Saturn5]

I’ve gotten into a good routine for me in the last few months.

In my morning prayers, I do a Rosary and I’m usually doing a 54 day novena there for something specific. Then it’s the prayer to St Monica, St. Joseph, St. Michael the Archangel, the Holy Spirit and then a Divine Chaplet.

My evening prayers are with the kids before they are off to bed and then my own. Those tend to be more “free-form” and conversation-like with Christ. But I start those with a Lord’s Prayer and a Hail Mary.

I have many small prayers/requests through the day as well.

I would love to have more time to read the Bible. I attended Bible study for several years but schedules have interferred with that. I also find that I have so much to learn about Scripture, that without it being led by someone much wiser that I, it’s more difficult for me to read and understand by myself.

 

[thunder_619]

Well look at how Jesus prayed…he used the Psalms while doing other things, like carrying or hanging on the Cross…and prayed alone, in quiet. He prayed with His friends. Most importantly I think he taught us to pray as a son, or a child of God. He gave us a prayer with a form, the Our Father.

I don’t think there is one best way…we should pray always and learn to adapt to our circumstances. Sometimes the Rosary is a great way to break out of only self directed prayer, offering up parts of it for others, for other intentions, getting our conversation with God off our selfish selves. Mental prayer is more conversational…"Lord, I don’t have much to offer you today, but let’s chat anyway…now about this upcoming family vacation…what should we keep in mind…won’t you give us time to grow as a family…how can I serve my family on the vacation. ".

Prayer is part of your great love affair.

Praying the Rosary is tough for me. I do not know why, but it is very hard for me to stay focus. I remember a long time ago, someone gave me advice saying just think of a person or a prayer intention for every bead. I tried doing that but my mind just goes off somewhere else (sports, school, what to do tomorrow, etc…). A month ago, I downloaded this interactive Rosary app on my Android phone. It does help me stay on pace and on task when I pray, mostly because there is an audio recording with it. But is it wrong to always pray mental prayer? I just find having a “conversational” prayer is more spiritual, mostly for the fact that I am more attentive and involved.

 

[Edward_H]

Praying the Rosary is tough for me. I do not know why, but it is very hard for me to stay focus. I remember a long time ago, someone gave me advice saying just think of a person or a prayer intention for every bead. I tried doing that but my mind just goes off somewhere else (sports, school, what to do tomorrow, etc…). A month ago, I downloaded this interactive Rosary app on my Android phone. It does help me stay on pace and on task when I pray, mostly because there is an audio recording with it. But is it wrong to always pray mental prayer? I just find having a “conversational” prayer is more spiritual, mostly for the fact that I am more attentive and involved.

The Church offers us an infinitely rich gift basket of ways to pray.

Some thoughts on the Rosary. The desire to join hearts with Jesus through the eyes of His mother, and our mother is a powerful help. That’s what the Rosary helps us do, get close to Jesus through the life of His mother.

Think of distractions as gifts…they are opportunities to return to God, again and again and again. I think God wants us to “get used to” returning to Him again and again. He wants us to practice it. When we practice it with Him, we get better at it. This “returning to” can then help us return to Him in other areas of our life more quickly and easily and humbly. When we ‘get distracted’ and lose our temper, or fail to be kind or attentive to others…so we return to Him again.

Offer your distractions to Him. “here is another one…a big one Lord…how long will You suffer me…how long will You continue to smile when I return to You!”

Praying when it’s easy and more comforting: Maybe that’s love, but isn’t it love when we pray when it’s tough and messy? When we talk with someone we know…and we’re distracted…isn’t it love when we persist and push on with renewed attention, humbly in spite of our weaknesses and tendencies and selfishness, for the sake of this person? Maybe it’s the same thing with the Rosary. We do it as well as we can, knowing we will fall or even fail. We do it as an act of humility, or love, or as an offering of love. We ask God to give us some of Mary’s love and devotion and attention. And then we give it right back to Him as a gift! Re-gifting to God! He loves this!! It will bring smiles to His face and His mother’s face.

It may help to occasionally ask: are we praying for a sort of comfort…or are we loving the Object of our prayer. The focus of Mary’s life was Jesus.

Mental prayer is irreplaceable. The Rosary offers us another incredible way to spend time with our Lord and His mother, who is our Mother. It teaches us how to love…humbly, perseveringly, when it’s easy and when loving is hard.