We are reminded again by Sunday’s gospel (19th Sunday in Ordinary Time) of the importance of private prayer. Jesus went away often to pray by himself. Shouldn’t we follow this example? The Mass is public communal prayer, and it is important for reminding us that we have a community of like-believers who supports us. We are not alone in our faith. But the public, communal prayer of the liturgy does not operate alone. We also need private, personal prayer time in our lives. In a friendship or a love relationship, we often spend time in groups, but we need to spend time with the person one-on-one. Relationships grow as people share their stories and feelings and overall compatibility. This connection is also true about our relationship with God.
It is easy to feel too busy to carve out time to pray. We need to decide that prayer must be a priority. We make time as we are able, and we don’t beat ourselves up if we falter. A little is better than none at all. I know from experience that I can’t say, “Well maybe I’ll have more time next week.” I won’t! There will always be something to get in the way. My best times for prayer are in the car alone and before I go to bed at night. You have to find what works for you. (And don’t close your eyes to pray if you are driving).
We need a personal prayer life. The prayer of the Church feeds our private prayer and vice-versa. We need quiet time to listen for and reflect on the ways God is speaking to us. We need the grounding of this kind of prayer in order to be present to those around us. Without prayer, it is too easy to let our own problems overwhelm us so we cannot help others in their need.
There are many ways to structure private prayer time. Always begin by remembering that you are in the presence of God. Give God thanks for the gifts in your life. Then spend some time in reflection. You could read a short Scripture verse, read part of a prayer or Mass text, use a book of meditations, or just wait and see what comes to mind. Spend some time mulling over a word, a phrase, or an image. Jot down any insights that strike you. Then, hand over to God situations and people you are worried about. End with a prayer of thanksgiving.
Here are some suggestions I’ve made before:
A prayer that covers many circumstances is the one prayed by the priest after the Lord’s Prayer: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is very fitting during Advent, but I use it all year round.
When I want to give God praise, I use the Glory to God (Gloria) or the Holy (Sanctus) from the Mass. A variation on the prayers at the Preparation of the Gifts can be used as a meal prayer: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the food we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us nourishment for our bodies. We give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
