How do you make prayer work in the pressures of daily life? Dr. Sri responds to this question with lessons learned in his own life as well as some key advice for the practice of daily prayer.
Snippet from the Show
“The soul needs prayer like the body needs oxygen.”
-St. John Paul II
Shownotes
Throughout our lives, we will go through different seasons whether it is the season of being a student, a new parent, or starting a new job. It seems as though our lives are ever changing and therefore, our habits and practices also change and adapt. This includes the habit or practice of daily prayer. Throughout life, this practice will look different. It will change. Dr. Sri offers two keys to help with daily prayer: faithfulness and flexibility.
Flexibility
You will often hear that in order to build a habit of daily prayer, it is essential that you schedule a specific time in a specific place that is the same every day. This is not a bad piece of advice…for some seasons of life. However, in a lot of seasons, flexibility is key. If we can only pray at certain times or in certain places, we may not pray at all. It is important that we are flexible so that we know it’s ok if our prayer time takes place as we rock our baby to sleep or as we drive home from work. There can be ideals, of course. However, the most important thing is that we actually do it, that we actually pray.
Faithfulness
In addition to being flexible with our prayer time, it is equally important that we are faithful to prayer. Prayer must take priority each day. Prayer is essential not only to our relationship with God, but also in our relationships with spouses, children, siblings, parents, and friends. It is essential in all that we do to try and live out the will of God. Be faithful to prayer. Be faithful to God.
Questions to Ponder
- Is prayer a priority in my life right now? Am I faithful to prayer? Why or why not?
- What can I do to be more flexible in my prayer life? Are there times or places in my day that are conducive to prayer?
- What are some goals I want to set for my prayer life?
Do you have questions about the Catholic Faith?
Send in your questions to info.edwardsri@gmail.com
Resources
- Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email events.edwardsri@gmail.com
- Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at www.ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to www.ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings
Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.
Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.
what IS your daily prayer? There are so many prayers I could be doing and so many devotionals! It’s so overwhelming. Morning prayers, day of the week prayers, particular month prayers, Magnificat, litanies, deliverance prayers, prayers for my husband and children…It’s just too much. I have such a hard time keeping up. Can you give an example of your daily prayers? How long do you spend on morning prayers? evening prayers? Every time I ask a priest, friend, or speaker – everyone says it’s individual. But then again – doesn’t church require us to do all those prayers every day??? Thank you!