Practical Prayer Ideas

Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. …But we cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2697

Our Daily Need for Prayer

Our souls need prayer just as our bodies we need food, moment to moment and day to day. Catholic author and speaker Matthew Kelly urges us to make a daily habit of prayer, ten minutes a day to start. He writes:

“It would be nice if our souls growled when they were hungry, like our stomachs do. But they don’t. Your immortal soul is the most valuable possession you have – feed it, nurture it, celebrate it. The saints realized the value of their immortal souls, so they made it a priority to nurture and nourish them. …I hope you will realize this too …and I hope that, having come to this realization, you will begin to nourish and nurture your soul. …Ten minutes a day. Begin today.”

Rediscover Catholicism pg. 180

Not Religion, But RELATIONSHIP

“Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him. …Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” 

John 14: 21, 23.

Some Practical Prayer Ideas*

PRAYER CORNER: Set up a prayer corner in your home. Decorate it with holy items and, if possible, use it as a dedicated prayer area.

PRAY A.C.T.S. Use this acronym to guide you in prayer:

• A – Adoration, praising God for who He is
• C- Confession, telling God about the things you’ve done or failed to do, and asking forgiveness
• T- Thanksgiving, thanking God for answered prayers, helping you in your daily life, etc.
• S – Supplication, asking God for your daily needs

ALOUD AND QUIET: St. Teresa of Avila spoke often about the difference between vocal prayer and mental prayer. She taught that all prayer begins vocally – such as the Our Father and the Hail Mary – and as we meditate on the vocal prayer it leads our souls to mental prayer.  

TAKE A SHORT PRAYER WALK: Take in and ponder the beauty of creation. As you walk and observe creation, praise God and talk to Him about whatever is on your mind.

GOD-LED OPPORTUNITIES: A scene from the movie Evan Almighty illustrates that God doesn’t always answer prayers as you’d like. Look for ways that God is providing opportunities for you to grow.

LECTIO DIVINA: Praying the Scriptures is a powerful way to hear God speak to you.

DAILY MASS: In addition to Sunday Mass, consider attending one Daily Mass each week.

DAILY MISSAL: Consider using the Daily Roman Missal, the Saint Joseph Missal, or the Saint Paul Missal or subscribe to a daily inspirational such as Magnificat, Give Us This Day, Our Daily Bread, or The Word Among Us.

THE ROSARY: Pray the Rosary weekly as a family, or even daily as part of your prayer time.

ADORATION: Pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle or during exposition of the Eucharist on the Altar. Most parishes offer Adoration periodically, like every first Friday. Many parishes offer Adoration for multiple hours each day. A few offer 24-hour Adoration.

SCREEN FAST: Consider setting aside a specific time each week to fast from using any electronics. Use that time to build family relationships and/or as family prayer time. Unplug from electronics and plug into relationships!

*The core of this list came from the excellent Augustine Institute YDisciple study on Prayer, https://formed.org/