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August 27, 2007
Keeping Rote Prayer Meaningful
On days when we don't feel like praying, saying meaningful and heartfelt prayers can be a challenge. It is easy to spout off rote prayer from memory and not even realize what we just did. I have been guilty of this many times, especially with the prayer before mealtime.
There are a couple of practical steps one can take to keep beautiful prayers like the "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" meaningful and heartfelt when we say them:
1) Read them in the Gospels once in a while - For example, reading the different versions of the "Our Father" and the first part of the "Hail Mary" in the Gospel of Luke helps reflect on them more deeply, once we see them in the context they were given to us.2
2) Be still and silent for 5 seconds before you pray - Just like it is a good idea to get to Mass early to give ourselves time to put aside all the things that distract us, it is a good idea to let our mind prepare for engaging in prayer.
3) Contemplate/imagine in your mind what you are saying - This is a must for prayer to be really genuine. We should never be content with saying a rote prayer while thinking of something else. Contemplating on what we're saying will help us to think about it, and our mind will wander less.
4) Say them slowly - I've said prayers before a meal so fast sometimes that a couple of minutes after praying I wasn't sure if I had said a prayer at all! Slowing down will decrease this problem.
These small practical steps have helped to remind me how valuable these treasures are. I hope they will do the same for you no matter how many times they are said.
God bless,
Daniel
Posted by jay at August 27, 2007 6:08 PM
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Comments
Rattling off rote prayer during a time of crisis and/or when I feel "to busy to pray" gives me the time and comfort I need to collect my self and my thoughts to enter into deeper, personal prayer.
The familiar words comfort me and help me to focus on slowing down. They remind me to offer God praise and thanksgiving, repentance and obedience and by that time, I usually forgo the petition (depending on the situation).
There is no right way to pray. You do offer good points on how to improve prayer; however prayer is part of your personal relationship with God, it can only be dictated by Him.
Posted by: Andrea at October 14, 2008 11:47 PM
