Hi!
Im new here and this is my first post about a topic that keeps me busy all the time.
Only recently I started to work on the relationship with God.
I pray every day. But the time period is realy short, below 5 minutes. I have heard that many people spent an hours for praying, so I would like to extend my praying time.
So maybe You can share Your thoughts with me- how to par for a longer time, maybe there are some kind of praying plan, what things should I include into my prayer etc.
I would be glad to hear Your advice
Kind Regards,
Gints
Do you have any kind of Catholic background, Gints ? Having had a largely Protestant/agnostic childhood, when I returned to the CC, I found the notion of meditating at the same time as praying the Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes of the Rosary, strange and almost disrespectful. Strangely, concentrating on both is not mutually exclusive. Thinking what you're praying, at the same time as meditating.
But I got used to it, and have found that the meditation is, for me, the more important part - though saying that is a bit daft, since the prayer is what makes it more than idle reverie. And, in fact, I have found that God and Our Lady prefer me to meditate on the mysteries properly - only then is there really warm, personal communication - rather than rattling off the prayers and meditations in a brief given time, even if it means I need to continue it later. I've definitely found it more rewarding. Of course, sometimes, in a public recitation of the Rosary, the leader will recite the prayers too slowly for everyone else, and it all gets a bit cacophanous.
I make sure I'm not too tired now, when I get up, so I'm not tempted to rattle the prayers off impersonally - the only recourse possible when you are tired, as meditating just gives you the 'green light' for your mind to keep hopelessly wandering. I've found that the the mind becomes tired, unreceptive, closed, if I spend too long at a time praying, so I take breaks. I do particularly like communal prayers, whether rosary, litany or liturgy, as the prayers of your companions helps carry me along spiritually, I find.
I disagree with the person who says you don't have to pray much. All things being equal, the more time you can devote to to it, the richer your interior life will become. It seems to be what is recommended by Jesus and the Evangelists - pray at all times. I don't find I'm thinking of praying during parts of the day, such as when I'm on the computer or more active, but I always kick myself when I realise I could be saying brief, ejaculatory prayers, such as the Jesus Prayer, favoured by the Greek Orthodox : 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.' But my mind will soon wander off again.
I too love the Psalms in the breviary, and also the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I must be an inveterate Mummy's boy, as I tend to get more of a buzz out of saying the latter.
