Hello everyone! I have a simple question for you: How do you pray? What is your prayer rule like? How do you stick to it while keeping a busy schedule? Thank you!
How do you pray in your daily life?
- Thread starter Jacques Bel
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I've been trying to use this PDF (as recommended by Roosh in this article) since I started trying to pray regularly 2-3 months ago. There are some evenings when I don't complete it in its entirety (for various reasons, usually relating to tiredness) and will either do some of it (the main bits), make some personal prayers up, or at the base minimum say the Lord's prayer.
So far I've managed to pray every night in the evenings to varying degrees, and at some point will try to do it in the mornings too.
I've also been trying to say the Jesus Prayer each evening (going for quality over quantity at the moment), and at adhoc moments during the day.
So far I've managed to pray every night in the evenings to varying degrees, and at some point will try to do it in the mornings too.
I've also been trying to say the Jesus Prayer each evening (going for quality over quantity at the moment), and at adhoc moments during the day.
Do not strive for eloquence when making your petition known to God, but use simplicity of speech. The image that the Fathers use to describe how to pray is that of a “lisping child.”
You will make more progress if you work with a priest or spiritual father who can assign a prayer rule which is appropriate for you; once you have a rule, keep it unfailingly. Persistence!
When one of the disciples of Christ asked Him this question, He gave the Lords Prayer as an example of how to pray (read Luke 11:1-13). Who else can teach us better to pray than Christ Himself? Christ also speaks elsewhere about prayer, and so it would be good to read the gospels (reading scripture goes hand in hand with prayer).
You will make more progress if you work with a priest or spiritual father who can assign a prayer rule which is appropriate for you; once you have a rule, keep it unfailingly. Persistence!
When one of the disciples of Christ asked Him this question, He gave the Lords Prayer as an example of how to pray (read Luke 11:1-13). Who else can teach us better to pray than Christ Himself? Christ also speaks elsewhere about prayer, and so it would be good to read the gospels (reading scripture goes hand in hand with prayer).
The first and most important step is to get a good prayer book. My favorites are the Jordanville Prayer Book and the Holy Transfiguration Monastery Prayer Book. I started out using prayers from the Internet on my phone as well but using an actual physical book will help you to focus and filter out electronic distraction.
Do the morning and evening prayers to start. (With the Jordanville book, the Morning Prayers in particular are quite long, so choose a couple from the numbered prayers following the Creed and rotate through them every few days so you don't get overwhelmed trying to pray all of them.)
Once you get in a habit of doing it, it's pretty easy to maintain the "momentum" of carving out fixed time in your schedule for prayer. I'd also recommend getting a good Psalter and praying the Psalms as well, whether you do a single Psalm after the morning/evening prayers, a stasis, or whole kathisma. (In Orthodox usage, the whole Psalter is grouped into 20 kathismata, a grouping of Psalms; and each kathisma into three stases, smaller groupings of usually 2-4 Psalms, depending on length.)
Of course, ideally you should talk to your priest about your prayer rule and how to use your prayer book, but if you're not yet to the stage where you're visiting a parish and know a priest, this could help get you started.
Do the morning and evening prayers to start. (With the Jordanville book, the Morning Prayers in particular are quite long, so choose a couple from the numbered prayers following the Creed and rotate through them every few days so you don't get overwhelmed trying to pray all of them.)
Once you get in a habit of doing it, it's pretty easy to maintain the "momentum" of carving out fixed time in your schedule for prayer. I'd also recommend getting a good Psalter and praying the Psalms as well, whether you do a single Psalm after the morning/evening prayers, a stasis, or whole kathisma. (In Orthodox usage, the whole Psalter is grouped into 20 kathismata, a grouping of Psalms; and each kathisma into three stases, smaller groupings of usually 2-4 Psalms, depending on length.)
Of course, ideally you should talk to your priest about your prayer rule and how to use your prayer book, but if you're not yet to the stage where you're visiting a parish and know a priest, this could help get you started.
Thanks for sharing that PDF.
I spend a lot more time praying for other people than for myself. I ask for them to see the error of their ways and come to god/be saved, for their safety, good health, and so forth. I ask for things like peace and understanding in the world. I make it a priority to pray for people I really can't stand, even though it pains me sometimes.
As for me, I mainly stick with stuff such as "...have mercy on me a sinner" and the like. I try to do it as often as possible and to actively think of being humble and to recognize my own failure and inadequacy. I frequently ask for help to understand things, to be a better person, and above all for guidance and the ability to do his will. I also try very hard to remember how blessed I am and say thanks as often as possible. And as a general rule I try to never ask for superficial things such as comfort, money, etc.
I don't know if there is a perfect ideal way to pray but I kinda figure a lot of it comes down to sincerity and making an effort/persistence.
What I like about the prayers you linked is the inclusion of psalm 51 and the Jesus prayer. One of the most important psalms and one of the most important prayers which often get left out in the daily prayers you will find in prayer books.
Thank you everyone for your fast replies! I can’t answer properly now, but I’ll do later in a better way, when I get some time to read every post in a calm way.
I follow the prayer rule of St. Pachomius but instead of 100 Jesus prayers at the end, I do 300. (Not because I think I'm better than a saint, but because 300 lines up perfectly with my drive to work each morning, thus allowing me to spend my whole drive in a state of prayer - I'm also not saying it once every hour, as he and his spiritual children were) At the end of my first "lap" around the prayer rope I say a prayer for the Church. After the second, a prayer for my family and after the third, a prayer for myself. I do this on my drive back as well. This constitutes my morning and evening prayer rule. Throughout the day largely depends on what I'm doing at work, but I make an effort to say the Jesus Prayer as much as possible. Some days this means little to none, other days I find myself saying the prayer without realizing it.
@rouchno1fan Thank you for your reply and for the links to the PDF and the Roosh article.
@Penitent Thank you for your advice. The image of the ”lisping child” is a beautiful thing. I had never heard it, but it’s very graphic, and I like it. Thank you!
@Hermetic Seal Thank you very much. I’m a Catholic on his way back to God, and thus, I’m not versed in Orthodox teachings, so I thank you for the explanations you added to your reply. Where can I find the list of psalms that conform kathishmata and stases? I mean... “psalms X, Y and Z make one”.
@soli.deo.gloria Thank you for sharing your prayer life. I tend to be ”selfish“ in my prayers. I should pray more, and also dedicate time to prayer for other people... I’ll keep working at it.
@DanielH Psalm 51 is indeed a very beautiful psalm that should be prayed everyday.
@OrthoLeaf Thank you very much. I’ll search for the rule and read it!
@Penitent Thank you for your advice. The image of the ”lisping child” is a beautiful thing. I had never heard it, but it’s very graphic, and I like it. Thank you!
@Hermetic Seal Thank you very much. I’m a Catholic on his way back to God, and thus, I’m not versed in Orthodox teachings, so I thank you for the explanations you added to your reply. Where can I find the list of psalms that conform kathishmata and stases? I mean... “psalms X, Y and Z make one”.
@soli.deo.gloria Thank you for sharing your prayer life. I tend to be ”selfish“ in my prayers. I should pray more, and also dedicate time to prayer for other people... I’ll keep working at it.
@DanielH Psalm 51 is indeed a very beautiful psalm that should be prayed everyday.
@OrthoLeaf Thank you very much. I’ll search for the rule and read it!
I pray with this 1 week psalter (print it or transcribe it to a sheet of paper) and with a book of the Liturgy of the Hours that has Lauds, Vespers and Compline (it uses a 1 month psalter). I guess the book I use is the equivalent of this english LOH book. To learn to pray it, look for a YouTube tutorial and use iBreviary or any other breviary program to check if you understand how to do it.
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I'm a practicing Catholic and my daily prayer life is a dead giveaway of that. My morning prayer is an offering of an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. In the evenings I recite one-third of the Rosary and meditate on the mysteries. I've also been trying to work in more mental prayer into my day, and use the book Divine Intimacy - Meditations on the Interior Life for every day of the Liturgical Year as a guide.
I must admit that I have a great respect for Orthodoxy and I look to several high profile Orthodox as my spiritual guides. Father Josiah Trenham, to name one, and obviously I'm influenced by Roosh since I'm a reader of his. I recite the Jesus Prayer often throughout the day when I catch myself in sin, usually some form of pride or judgement of others. I sometimes even fall asleep reciting this prayer.
I must admit that I have a great respect for Orthodoxy and I look to several high profile Orthodox as my spiritual guides. Father Josiah Trenham, to name one, and obviously I'm influenced by Roosh since I'm a reader of his. I recite the Jesus Prayer often throughout the day when I catch myself in sin, usually some form of pride or judgement of others. I sometimes even fall asleep reciting this prayer.
I just realized that this thread is in fact in the Orthodox discussion of the forum. Didn't mean to intrude. My first paragraph need not apply, but my second does.
And I reiterate that the Jesus Prayer is greatly helpful for building humility and charity for others in my interior life.
And I reiterate that the Jesus Prayer is greatly helpful for building humility and charity for others in my interior life.
@AnimalSereno Thank you very much for your answer and for that 1week Psalter.
@darebear I’m also a Catholic in the search of God, who has some curiosity for Orthodox Christianity and Eastern rites and practices, so while this is indeed an Orthodox forum, I can relate to your prayer life with the Rosary. I’ve also found some good Orthodox online content, like the Father Spyridon youtube channel (and I got to read about Roosh and his conversion searching for more Orthodox stuff). While I have yet to meet an Orthodox Christian, the impression I have is that they tend to be quite disciplined establishing and sticking to a prayer rule. And that’s a very good thing that many Catholics lack (myself included), probably because the average cradle Catholic receives a poor religious education despite receiving all of the initiation sacraments and attending Mass at least once every week.
@darebear I’m also a Catholic in the search of God, who has some curiosity for Orthodox Christianity and Eastern rites and practices, so while this is indeed an Orthodox forum, I can relate to your prayer life with the Rosary. I’ve also found some good Orthodox online content, like the Father Spyridon youtube channel (and I got to read about Roosh and his conversion searching for more Orthodox stuff). While I have yet to meet an Orthodox Christian, the impression I have is that they tend to be quite disciplined establishing and sticking to a prayer rule. And that’s a very good thing that many Catholics lack (myself included), probably because the average cradle Catholic receives a poor religious education despite receiving all of the initiation sacraments and attending Mass at least once every week.
Does anyone use the prayers of St John Chrysostom for each hour of the day?
www.saintgregoryoutreach.org
Prayers of St. John Chrysostom for every hour of the day
1:00 a.m. O Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly blessings; 2:00 a.m. O Lord, deliver me from eternal torment; 3:00 a.m. O Lord, if I...
I recieved a prayer rule from my Priest before becoming a Catechumen. It's a prayer rule which is able to be shortened based on time restraints. Can't say I'm perfect at keeping it 100% of the time but I definitely pray more now than I did before I recieved it... I personally think the best way to start a prayer rule is recieving one from a Priest, do it to the best of your abilities and learn as you go.
It's a cliché among the Orthodox online but it's important to talk to your priest about this rather than try to follow someone else's rule.
That said, I basically read all the morning/evening prayers from the Jordanville book if I have the time. As I am often up very early for work, I will read a few prayers from the above book. What works for you might be totally different though, so it's important to heed the standard Orthodox cliché warning...
Also I mentally repeat the Jesus Prayer every time I remember to.
That said, I basically read all the morning/evening prayers from the Jordanville book if I have the time. As I am often up very early for work, I will read a few prayers from the above book. What works for you might be totally different though, so it's important to heed the standard Orthodox cliché warning...
Also I mentally repeat the Jesus Prayer every time I remember to.
This is very helpful advice. There have been times I have been concerned that I should be crafting something fancy and pious sounding, so this removes that pressure.
Thank you!
A couple more questions for others new to daily prayer:
- What's the minimum you do for icons and any other stuff that you use whilst praying (candles etc)? I don't want to be splashing out on fancy prayer ropes and incense etc. and once of those "all the gear... no idea" people.
- Do you always stand whilst praying? What if you're very tired and find it easier to sit/lie down? Surely better than nothing at all? Acceptable to simply pray in bed with the lights off?
