by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
Our special prayer issue “Pray As You Go” captured the unique prayer lives of ordinary people around the archdiocese.
It also got a lot of us thinking. Personally, I didn’t realize so many people prayed so often throughout the day, especially in the various places we heard about.
It was really amazing to hear the stories of normal people who have dealt with all sorts of obstacles in their lives, but who consistently rely on prayer to give them hope and consolation.
The beauty of it is that we can all have that grace.
Most importantly, the special issue taught us that we don’t have to go far to talk to God. We can do it wherever and whenever we want.
Did “Pray As You Go” inspire you to enhance your own prayer life? Here are some tips I drew from the special issue that could help anyone started down a better prayer path.
1. Pick a time and stick with it
Most of the “prayer warriors” we talked to have selected a particular part of their day when they pray. Designating a certain time each day and making it a habit to pray during that time is a simple way to stick with it, no matter how busy you get.
2. Talk to God like you would a friend
You may hear this a lot, but putting it into practice is totally beneficial. It’s easy to get stuck and feel like your prayers aren’t good enough. Pushing past those ruts in your prayer life is much easier when you’re real with God.
Tell Him about your fears, anxieties, joys, hopes, worries, triumphs and failures. Just letting God in will do you wonders.
3. Be still, silent and listen
Even if you decide to pray while mowing the lawn, it’s still important to make time in your day for peace and quiet. When we give ourselves permission to truly do nothing, rather than get fidgety and feel guilty because we think we should be getting something done, we give ourselves an opportunity to calm down and forget about the worries of our day.
4. Don’t throw in the towel
It can be easy to give up when your prayer life seems slow or you’re not getting anything out of it. That’s exactly the time that you should persevere and trust that God is listening, even if it doesn’t feel like he is.
Many of the people in our issue have dealt with difficult times and tragedies, but they never gave up. They found hope in their trials, and you can, too.
To check out our prayer issue, click here.
