Helping Others Get Back to Church

Building a Prayer Life

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Starting Small and Building the Habit

If it has been a while since you last prayed, the goal is consistency rather than length or complexity.

Commit to Five Minutes: Do not feel pressured to pray for an hour. Start with just five minutes a day. God honors the time you give, no matter how brief.
Anchor Your Prayer (Habit Stacking): Attach your prayer time to a habit you already do every day without fail. Pray while your morning coffee is brewing, during your commute, or right after you brush your teeth at night.
Create a Dedicated Space: Find a specific chair or corner in your home where you go to pray. Having a physical location signals to your brain that it is time to quiet down and focus.
Schedule It: Treat prayer like an important appointment. Put it on your calendar or set a daily alarm on your phone so it doesn’t get pushed aside by a busy schedule.

When you sit down to pray, it is normal to feel like you don’t know what to say. Here are a few simple frameworks:

The ACTS Framework: This is a classic method to organize your thoughts:
- A – Adoration: Praise God for who He is.
- C – Contrition: Apologize for your recent mistakes and sins.
- T – Thanksgiving: Express gratitude for specific blessings in your life.
- S – Supplication: Ask God for what you and others need.
Use Existing Prayers: You do not always have to make up the words. Praying the Our Father, the Psalms, or reading from a prayer book are excellent ways to jumpstart a conversation with God.
Praying with Scripture: Take a short passage from the Bible (like the Gospel reading for the day). Read it slowly, pick out one word or phrase that stands out to you, and talk to God about why it caught your attention.
Journaling: If you struggle with a wandering mind, try writing your prayers down as letters to God. This helps maintain focus and gives you a record of how God is working in your life over time.

Prayer isn’t just something you do alone in a quiet room; it can be an ongoing conversation throughout your day.

“Arrow Prayers”: These are quick, one-sentence prayers shot up to God in the moment. (e.g., “Lord, give me patience in this meeting,” or “Thank you, God, for this beautiful weather.”)
The Daily Examen: This is a brief reflection practiced at the end of the day. Simply review the events of your day with God. Notice where you felt His presence, where you fell short, give thanks, and ask for grace for tomorrow.
Offer Up Mundane Tasks: You can turn chores or exercise into a prayer. Dedicate your workout, your time doing the dishes, or your walk to a specific intention or person who needs prayers.
Grace Before Meals: Returning to the simple habit of pausing to thank God before you eat centers your mind on gratitude multiple times a day.

Distraction: Everyone gets distracted during prayer. When your mind wanders to your grocery list, don’t get frustrated. Simply acknowledge the thought and gently bring your focus back to God.
Dryness: There will be days when prayer feels like talking to a brick wall. Remember that prayer is an act of faith and discipline, not just an emotional experience. Showing up, even when you don’t feel like it, is a powerful prayer in itself.
Perfectionism: There is no “perfect” way to pray. God prefers your messy, honest, and authentic self over a polished performance. Speak to Him as you would to a trusted friend.