"It is better to say one
Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of
distraction." (St. Edmund)
Numerous
Novenas, devotions, prayers, the Holy Rosary, and many other beautiful ways of
prayer surround our Catholic faith. However, it is truly important that our
prayers are more than what we are raised with, taught, and recite during the
liturgy; we must have a life of personal and meaningful prayer that is truly
from our hearts. Even as we pray these prayers of our faith we must pray them
with devoutness, sincerity, and authenticity. It is not only about us
communicating with our Lord but allowing ourselves to be open to God's voice
communicating to us.
As we live amidst the chaos of working life, various schedules, and the pressures and pulls of numerous commitments our prayer time may often suffer. Even if we schedule time for prayer within our day it can often seem that this too becomes more of "something to do" opposed to a time of peace. Our Lord invites us to share in the peace of His presence through prayer. It is Him who places this desire to communicate with Him upon our hearts. The other day I came across this wonderful quotation..
“To say that we travel toward God with God and in God is to make clear that prayer is not first a human initiative, but a divine one. On life’s journey, it is God who first calls us." (Catholic Update Guide to CCC)
If God has initiated within our hearts this desire to communicate with Him, to thank Him, and to need Him; then He too is truly yearning for all of your heart, all of your words, your distractions, your pains, your burdens, and your love.
When we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer we must do so with openness and honesty. Before reciting words from our prayers and novenas let us sit before the Lord in silence and offer Him every distraction and burden that is upon our hearts and minds. May we find comfort in our time of prayer and may we come to experience God present among us and within us daily.
Lord, tonight I pray for all of those who are experiencing difficulty in their prayer life. Provide them with comfort and perseverance so that they may come to find true comfort in you. Lord provide each of us with humility when we pray so that we may share with You openly and honestly. Help us through our distractions when we pray Lord, and may we realize that even our prayer of tears and silence is understood by You when we can not find the right words. Thank you Lord for all of Your blessings and for calling each and every one of us to a deeper relationship with you. Help us to recognize your presence around us and within us each day. We ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother and all the Angels and Saints as we pray. Amen (C.C.)
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