Prayer is an important aspect of Christian life, essential for believers.
Pope Francis says that “prayer is the oxygen of our life,” and it is therefore a profound need that keeps our faith alive, as an encounter with the Lord, an opening of our hearts to Him and to His love.
And yet, praying is not always easy. Although there is no infallible method, here are some suggestions that can help us.
“How powerful prayer is!”
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us this; from childhood, she would fall asleep with the rosary in her hand. And the Venerable Servant of God Giorgio La Pira stated that prayer is “more powerful than an atomic bomb because it reaches God’s heart directly.” Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori writes succinctly: “Those who pray are saved; those who do not pray are condemned.”
Prayer, a true heart-to-heart encounter with God, is at the center of every Christian’s life.
It is an immense gift that God gives us; prayer is the work of the Holy Spirit, not our own! Indeed, we are poor, fragile, weak, inconsistent, and incapable of opening ourselves to God unless He Himself comes to meet us by opening the door of His heart.
Certainly, we do not become men and women of prayer overnight; a serious journey is needed, as the lives of the saints demonstrate, in order to reach “unceasing prayer,” that is, prayer of the heart, prayer without interruption.
When to pray
Encountering the Lord gives color to the entire day; all believers are invited to experience it, according to their family and work commitments. Yes, it is true: amid the frantic and chaotic rhythms of everyday life, there never seems to be time to pray. On the other hand, we must not wait until we find ourselves in ideal conditions: calm and silence. And if we also wait for the perfect state of mind and spirit, then we will never pray. Instead, we need to carve out small periods of time throughout the day. Sometimes even just a few minutes at a time!
Anyone can set aside, between one commitment and another, a few brief moments to read a short passage from the Gospel; or recite the rosary while returning home from work; or make a brief visit to a church while taking the dog for a walk!
While carrying out normal daily activities, anyone can always turn their heart to the Lord with a brief prayer rising from the heart, thank Him, praise Him for various reasons, or call upon Him by entrusting particular difficult situations to Him!
When lived in this way, the life of prayer does not present itself as an alternative to work and the commitments we are called to fulfill during the day, but rather as what accompanies every action of life, even in moments when it is not explicitly expressed.
Prayer then becomes a constant dimension, something within, not outside, even the smallest folds of our existence.
Thus, the “best place” to pray is everyday life, in the brief moments it gives us, when we least expect it!
Choosing the right place and time to pray
But pay attention! This is not enough; prayer requires determination and consistency, so it needs specific moments of the day and set times. For this reason, it is necessary to schedule a daily appointment, establish a precise time, preferably always the same, thus creating a habit that gives us, every day, a moment just for ourselves and God. For example, we can choose the morning before beginning our activities or the evening before resting, to offer God what we have done during the day.
It is also important to choose a place that encourages recollection. Jesus preferred to withdraw; He chose deserted places, abandoned by people, to turn to God the Father. We should do the same, choosing the place that best suits us.
A crucifix or a Marian icon, or the Gospel, can encourage recollection and help us enter into conversation with the Lord.
Practically speaking, how should we pray?
The most important thing is to open our hearts, so at the beginning of prayer it is important to invoke the Holy Spirit. Then we can praise God for His greatness, beauty, and goodness, recognizing His living and life-giving Presence in our lives and in the world around us. We can give thanks for all the gifts we have received, for all the encounters we have had, and ask for the strength we need. We can also entrust important people to the Lord or ask Him for something that truly lies close to our hearts, entrusting to Him our whole lives, our worries, our hopes, and our desires.
Prayer time is also meant to receive the Word of God; for example, there are beautiful passages of the Bible that we can meditate on during morning prayer. We can also take a Gospel passage and make it an encounter with Jesus: read it and imagine Him, pausing over a phrase or verse that particularly touches us and meditating on it, listening to what God wants to say to us. We can also write down on a small piece of paper the phrase that struck us so that we can reread it throughout the day.
How to break the ice
Sometimes, however, we do not know how to begin; we cannot express ourselves! So how do we break the ice?
If we cannot pray in our own words, we can turn to prayers that have already been written. Our Christian history is full of saints who composed prayers, each more beautiful than the last. Above all, we often forget the beauty of reciting an Our Father or a Hail Mary with all our hearts.
We can also turn to aids such as PregaAgenda 2025, which every day serves as a truly practical reminder for daily prayer, personal devotions, and deeper study of the Word of God through the biblical references for each day’s Mass readings. It also provides outlines for praying the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and the Way of Light. Finally, it offers valuable insights into the 2025 Jubilee, the liturgical year, and special commemorations.
Conclusion
The most beautiful prayer is not the one that lasts an hour once a year, but the daily prayer anchored in a solid faith.
Prayer is never in vain: it always bears fruit, even if it is not immediately perceptible.
Let us therefore commit to devoting quality time to prayer, so that we may return to our daily lives inwardly enriched!
All that remains is for you to try it and then tell us about your experience in the comments!
