How to Pray Better
Prayer is our conversation with God. It brings us into communion with God. Catholic prayer life is a mixture of contemplation, action, silence and the recitation of formal prayers. We pray both in private, and in public, with the rest of the members of the Body of Christ.
Our communal prayer, especially the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday, is our most important prayer of all. Yet our celebration of the Eucharist must be enlived by a strong personal prayer life.
The best way to enrich your prayer life is to be intentional about it. Like exercize for someone who is trying to be fit, it must be put into our schedule and practiced every day.
Try to set aside a certain amount of time each day, whether it be 5 or 10 minutes each morning and night, and reserve that time for prayer alone. Create a prayer ritual for yourself, possibly using a special room in the house, or lighting a candle, or playing spiritual music. Try to remain faithful to your prayers even when you don't feel like it. Prayer is an action, an act of our mind and will, and it will not always make us "feel good."
Also, try to practice saying a mealtime blessing at each meal. Even if it is in the silence of your heart. Give thanks to God whenever you can.
Keep the conversation with God open and alive. |
