A Place To Pray
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Have you ever noticed that some places seem better than others for prayer? Certainly we can pray anywhere, but even Jesus seemed to have a preferred place and style for prayer. When He wanted to draw closer to His Father, He went to the mountains to pray. He sought out a place of solitude. I recently created a small chapel in my house. Do you have a preferred place to pray? Allow me to share how my prayer chapel has helped to improve my prayer life. Please read more.
Let’s face it, we all battle sin. We are in constant spiritual warfare. Temptation never stops. I think we can all attest to that. Through my ministry, I have encountered many people whose sins have evolved into dependencies and addictions. Sins leads to vice; vices turn into habits and some habits can become addictions.
We are fighting a battle against the evil inside of us. Sin begets sin. When we sin, it becomes easier to commit that same sin again. Our sins can cloud our conscience and corrupt our judgement. It stands to reason that if we are in a never-ending battle between good and evil, then our prayer life needs the fortification of well-developed habits.
Our best defense against sin is an unceasing prayer life. We need to build strong prayer habits. Sin tries to undermine our determination to spend time in prayer. Sin offers up excuses and obstacles to interfere with our prayer time. A strong prayer life requires consistency.
We each have our unique style and preferences for prayer; however, I believe we would all benefit from finding a quite space for uninterrupted prayer. We need time for reflection. We need to complete a thorough examination of conscience daily. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to help us see our own flaws. We need to authentically present ourselves to God with all our foibles.
Our prayer life should be deliberate and habitual. You could even say that our prayer life should become a positive addiction. It should be something that we can’t live without.
Allow me to tell you more about the chapel I set up in my home. It has had a very positive impact on my spiritual life. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I have included some pictures of my chapel.
I tried to build an atmosphere and ambiance that whisks my mind away from the world and places me in the proper disposition for prayer. During my prayer time, I have Gregorian chants playing softly in the background and the scent of frankincense wafting in the air. I use candlelight and a dim table lamp for lighting. I really feel God’s presence in this special place.
In addition to the chapel, I also established a new regiment for my morning prayer. My prayer procedure has rapidly become a new habit. Here is my procedure.
Upon entering the room, I genuflect and kiss the Bible that is placed on a small table or prayer altar. God is present in His word, so for a few minutes I just sit quietly and listen for His voice. Then, each day I read one chapter from the Bible. Following this, I read the daily readings from the Liturgical Calendar. I read one or two commentaries about the readings or I listen to them online. Next, I recite several personal prayers that I have written, followed by prayer petitions for everyone on my prayer list. After that, I rest in God’s presence and read several chapters from some good Christian book. I conclude by asking for our Blessed Mother’s intercessory prayers to her Son to remove any knots that have my life tangled up. I depart the chapel after inviting Jesus into my entire day. Of course, there are many other opportunities for prayer throughout the day.
This is my prayer procedure. What is yours? Do you have a designated time and place to pray? If not, have you ever considered one?
Our prayer life is our best defense against sin. Creating a special place for prayer has been beneficial to me. Fortunately, I had an extra room to turn into a dedicated chapel. Maybe you don’t. Perhaps you can make a small prayer closet or dedicate the corner of a room as your special place to pray. I do believe that, if possible, setting aside a special place to pray can help to bolster our commitment to pray.
If you have your own unique place set aside for prayer, please take a moment to tell us all about it by posting in the comment area below. Thank you!
Heavenly Father I love to sit in your presence and pray. The world can become a noisy and distracting place that pulls me away from you. Please guide me to the best place to spend time with you. Amen!
As always, I love to read your comments below as well as hear from you personally by clicking here.
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Hi Brian.
My prayer time straits when I get out of bed. I start by reading the word among us. I then offer petitions for the people on my list and pray the rosary daily. In the afternoon, I like to pray the Divine mercy while I walk the trails ne’er my home.
The one problem that I have is meditating. I sometimes get lost in thought as to what I was meditating on.
Any help with this would be appreciated.
Decolores.
Ray
I have heard that we should not become overly concerned if our mind wonders during meditative prayer. The Holy Spirit knows what we need to pray for and He prays for us when are mind wonders. I have also heard that is a way, we are still “resting in the Spirit” when I mind wonders. I think this happens at one time or another to everyone who prays. Thanks for your post.
Brian
Thank you Brian,
Lazy Boy Sanctuary
Although I have a dedicated place to pray and meditate each morning, it is just a corner of my family room. An old side table that my wife repurposed and refurbished with two drawers – one for my devotional readings, the other for my stash of votive candles and lighter. On top of the table is a votive holder from the Vatican and a plant my daughter Kelly picked out before she went away to study at DePaul. Beside the table is a blue power reclining Lazy Boy chair which we purchased for my mother as she suffered bravely through the final stages of breast cancer. The rest of the room is quite typical. Big flat screen tv, window to the back yard, sofa, etc. I light a candle, invite the Holy Spirit into my day and life, and kneel. As I kneel by my mother’s chair, I feel her presence. My prayers are a combination of set memorized prayers and improvised petitions. I begin with gratitude for life, and end with Thy will, not mine, be done. Afterward, I play some new age music on my bluetooth speaker and sit quietly for 2, 5, 10, 20 minutes as my morning provides. This small corner of an otherwise normal tv room has become my sanctuary. I would no sooner start my day without it than I would start it without air or coffee! Perhaps some day I will not need a place to go to enter the spirit world. I will be able to have it with me wherever I go. Until then, my Lazy Boy Sanctuary will do just fine.
Jimmy
I love it. It sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing this.
Brian
I find early morning on my porch is my place. I also found that if I pray Out Loud I am less likely to get distracted and start drifting into tangents. Otherwise I get sidetracked.
Sue
Thanks for your post. I too, like to pray out loud.
God bless.
Brian
Thank you for being a faithful disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is good to reflect on the need to pray, for it is prayer that sustains us on our journey in life. We all pray in different ways, but it’s good to think about why we pray. After encountering the Lord many years ago, He filled me with a desire to read Scripture. I didn’t know it then, but this desire was designed to help me grow in my love and knowledge of Jesus – through prayer!
The call to discipleship, to follow the Way, the Truth and the Life is not an easy calling. Praying is a way to experience His love each day, and it is only through His love that I am empowered to follow Him, to pick up my cross, and live for Him and not myself.
So your reflection made me think about why I pray and it seems to me I pray because I need to experience His love daily to keep me on the straight and narrow way that leads to life, for without this experience each day, I will follow the wide and easy road that leads to death.
Walter
What a beautiful post! Thanks for sharing your prayer experience with all of the readers. May God’s blessing be with you.
Brian
Wonderful, Brian! Thanks for the encouragement?
Renae
Even your RV can be your traveling chapel. I am sure you draw close to God in prayer while visiting and camping in some of the most beautiful places God has created around the country. Have a blessed day!
Brian
I have been receiving your newsletters ever since you presented at my church, Church of the Resurrection, New Albany, Ohio. Each one has a powerful message. I always look forward beginning my Tuesday mornings reading your newsletter.
DeColores!
Kathy
Thank you for your kind remarks. I really enjoyed coming to the a Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. Perhaps, one day, I’ll get the chance to come back. I also enjoy coming home to Ohio.
Have a blessed day.
Brian