Prayer is being on terms of friendship with God, frequently conversing in secret with him who, we know, loves us.
St. Teresa of Avila
Talking to God
If we want to have a friendship, or any relationship, with God, then we have to pray. As St. Teresa claims, prayer is the way in which we talk with God. Think of the person who you’re closest to. How long could you go without any contact with them? I could never imagine not talking with my best friend for a prolonged period of time, so I don’t let a day go by without talking to God in prayer. Prayer is mandatory if we want to maintain and strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Of course, we’re only human. Sometimes we forget to pray, sometimes we’re caught up in other responsibilities, and sometimes we struggle to find the time. We understand the importance of prayer, but it’s hard to fit it in our day. This is understandable, but if our relationship with God is the most important part of our life (as it should be), we should do whatever we can to make our prayer time a priority.
It isn’t easy to do a holy hour every day or have a consistent prayer schedule, but we can start by praying little by little throughout the day. If you need some ideas and ways to pray, then check out this list below!
1 When you wake up
As soon as you wake up, thank the Lord for a new day. Think of Psalm 118:24, which says “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Keep a prayer card on your nightstand to start your day with a short prayer, or talk to God as your get ready, bringing him your joys or anxieties about the day ahead.
2 Daily Mass
If your schedule allows, daily Mass is a wonderful way to pray. If you can spare 30 minutes in the morning (or sometimes the afternoon or evening), you can pray the most perfect prayer and receive our Lord in the Eucharist!
3 Before work or when work gets stressful
As you begin your day, offer your work to the Lord and ask him to bless it and make it holy. Ask St. Joseph the worker to intercede for you and to help you work with God in mind. When you start to get stressed or frustrated, take a short break to pray and offer it to God.
4 Before and after meals
Thank God for every meal before you eat, asking him to bless the food and those who prepared it. This forgotten and sometimes overlooked prayer is a great way to incorporate prayer throughout your day. There’s even a prayer after meals that you can find on a prayer card in my Etsy shop!
5 Daily rosary
In all of her apparitions, our Blessed Mother recommended praying the rosary every day. It offers so many graces, its rooted in Scripture, and it brings us closer to Jesus through Mary. If you need a push to start praying the rosary every day, try the 54-day rosary novena, which is an especially powerful novena comprised of praying the rosary every day for 54 days.
6 Impromptu gratitude prayers
When something good happens, when you hear good news, or when you’re happy for yourself or someone else, thank God for those moments. Our Heavenly Father delights in his children’s happiness. Don’t be afraid to say, “Praise God!” or “Thank you, Lord!” throughout your day. It’ll open your eyes to how God is working in your life, and it’ll help those around you recognize the Lord too.
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7 Reading your Bible, praying Lectio Divina, or reading the daily Mass readings.
There are several beautiful ways to incorporate Scripture into your daily routine. If you can’t make it to daily Mass, you can read and reflect on the readings online. You can pray Lectio Divina and listen to what the Lord is telling you through his word. If you want to read the Bible more often, you can make a reading plan or commit to reading a certain number of chapters each day.
8 When you go to sleep
Before you go to sleep, you can pray an Examen of Conscience. Created by St. Ignatius Loyola, the Examen of Conscience helps you to reflect on your day and view it through God’s eyes. Instead of looking at your phone, keep a prayer card or a book on your nightstand to pray from before you sleep.
Making Prayer a Habit
No matter how you want to start praying, commit to a way to pray and a time. You can pick a thing or two from this list to incorporate into your daily routine and see how it works. Once you find consistency with a few small ways to pray, you’ll be able to work your way up and pray longer and more often. Little by little, prayer will become a habit, and you’ll find yourself growing closer and closer to God.
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