HOW TO PRAY
“Rising very early before dawn, Jesus left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Jesus is not being rude or acting aloof. Rather, He understands that a more meaningful conversation with His heavenly Father is made possible when distractions are minimized.
I minimize my own distractions when praying by leaving my phone behind or turning it off and going to a place where it is most unlikely to be interrupted. For me, I have a prayer room in my home. Other times I go to church before the Blessed Sacrament. Still other times there are some favorite places in parks and natural settings that lessen distractions so I can converse with God more wholeheartedly.
And when I prayer, my conversation with God often follows this flow.
- THANK God for blessings received
- ASK God to help me see what He wants
- REVIEW my words and actions earlier in the day and day before.
- BEG God for forgiveness for what I’ve said and done that is not what He wanted
- COMMIT to God again, with His help, I earnestly will seek to say and do what He wants
Then, I typically draw my conversation with God to a close by praying sincerely and slowly the Our Father.
