THE DAILY PRACTICE OF PRAYER

by Fred Vilbig

Everything in our spiritual life really needs to begin and end with prayer. That is one of the reasons why the articles I wrote this year have focused on prayer.

Prayer should be our loving response to the call of God Who is love. But we have to quiet ourselves and the world around us to hear that gentle, tiny whisper in our souls, which is God. Our prayer can be simple like the “Jesus Prayer.” We should try to understand and tune into the prayer, Jesus gave us, the “Our Father.” To grow closer to Jesus, we should pray the prayers that Jesus prayed, the Psalms. We should ask for help from His mother, Mary, and His friends, the Saints. We should make our prayer real through fasting and abstinence. And we should join in the greatest prayer we have, the Mass, as often as we can.

But how can we put this into daily practice?


The Saints have often cautioned that you should never begin your day without prayer. Maybe began by praising God for a new day with a “Glory Be…”. Since Jesus taught us how to pray, an “Our Father” would be appropriate. Asking for Mary’s help with a “Hail Mary” would be prudent as well. Finally, offering your day to God through a “Morning Offering” would be in order.

Every meal should begin and end with grace, including your cereal at breakfast. As you head out the door, asking for the help of your Guardian Angel by the “Guardian Angel Prayer” and Saint Michael through the “Prayer to St. Michael” should get you ready for the battle of the day.

On the way to and from work, turn off the radio and pray the rosary. In the alternative, listen to the Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, or Evening Prayer of the Divine Office, the prayer of the Church. All of these prayer center around the Psalms. Another alternative would be to get an audiobook or a CD that can help you to grow in your faith. We shouldn’t waste our time in the car.

Throughout the day, it is important to keep focused on God, so during those quiet times of waiting in line for an elevator or for a light, the “Jesus Prayer” could fit in.

If possible, fitting in daily Mass would probably be the most useful thing you can do. Physically receiving Jesus into your life will transform you more and more into His Image. There really is nothing better than that.

At night instead of watching TV, maybe skip one show and read the Bible or a story about the lives of the Saints.

Before we go to bed, spiritual advisers all say to take a few minutes before going to sleep to look back on our day, our victories as well as our failings. Saying an “Act of Contrition” is a good way to end things.

Will you or I be able to do all of these things every day? Maybe not. However, if each of us develops a plan, an outline, I believe that we will pray more often. God is waiting at the door, waiting for us to knock, waiting to open to us. All we have to do is make the effort, and God will provide us with the grace to see our way through it all.

And if for no other reason, in your charity, please remember me and my family in your prayers, and I will remember you and yours. God bless. And Merry Christmas!