When, How, Where Do I Pray?

Our Screened Deck, aka Our “Prayer Garden”

How, When, Where Do I Pray?

I love mornings – and the earlier, the better!  I love sitting in our prayer garden (our screened deck) in the wee hours of the morning while most of the world is still sleeping.  These are my designated moments alone with God.  …and when evening comes, and Sr. Kathy (with whom I live) has gone to her room, I will sneak some more time to be “alone” with God. Sometimes it’s back on the deck, other times it’s downstairs on the sofa facing our back yard – where I’m often ‘accompanied’ by wild turkeys, deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks and always wild birds, mostly cardinals, titmice, and finches.   These are my treasured moments of quiet time, and I use this time for prayer.  

Our Back Yard visitors – Deer

More visitors – Wild Turkeys

For years, it has been a routine that I have followed just about every place I have lived, and has become my daily appointment with God.  Whenever I move to a new place, my first search is some space where I can spend some quiet time alone with God.  I just moved into the place where I am currently living, and was very excited to have a screened deck.  We embellished it with some of our plants (although neither one of us claims to have a ‘green thumb’), and our deck has become our “Prayer Garden.”  I always find it to be very inviting!

Throughout the years, I have learned, however, that it’s not about the place I pray, but that I do pray.  It is also not about the words I use nor about the type of prayer that I say, but that I have an open heart for a conversation with God.  It is not even about how long I pray, but that I do pray frequently.  And importantly, I need to make some quiet time in prayer to listen.  I need to know how to be silent and be still so that God will also speak in this conversation.  God takes any opportunity to speak to us – be it through nature, other people, and even in the silence – so we need to have an open heart.  

Other ways I pray is in community, of course.  We pray (actually “chant”) the Liturgy of the Hours at our Motherhouse. We also pray the rosary in our chapel every afternoon before Evening Prayer, and we have Adoration in one of our chapels every Sunday afternoon.  I also have an app with the Rosary, which I pray on my way to/from the office.  (This is where I mention each one of you by name, and pray for guidance in your discernment! – I’ve memorized each one of your first names!)  

Chanting the Liturgy of the Hours in our Chapel

Consistency in our prayer lives can become difficult if we are not intentional about it. Even though I study, write, and teach about prayer, I have to admit that I find myself desiring more time for prayer, and even questioning if I need to deepen my prayer life.  I think most of us (or at least me) are constantly wanting to deepen our prayer life.  This must be a part of our yearning love for God.  When we love someone, we want to continuously let that someone know we love them, and desire to spend more time with them.  The paradox about this yearning is that our own desire to deepen our prayer life is placed there from God’s own desire to be with us!  

When do you check in with God each day?

How do you schedule time with God?

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