Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center

Jun 5, 2002

 

The time crunch: finding the time to pray

By Julie McCarty

In "Turn It Off," business consultant Gil Gordon observes that tension continues to rise in the workplace: "People seemed to be increasingly stretched, stressed, and almost breathless as they made their way from week to week. I would walk into a client's office for a Monday-morning meeting and almost everyone looked and acted as if it were 5 p.m. on Friday afternoon." What's the reason for this exhaustion? People have become tethered to their jobs with electronic leashes that prevent them from having a life beyond their careers.

In this fast-paced, productivity-oriented culture, it can appear nearly impossible to find time to pray. Yet, I believe that underneath all that frantic activity is a deep hunger for something more, and that something is deeper intimacy with God. As Christians, we know prayer is important, but finding the time to pray is difficult with all the pressures of modern living.

One way to overcome this obstacle is to examine our attitudes towards time itself. In "Receiving the Day," Dorothy Bass reminds us of the spiritual meaning of time. If we see time as merely a series of boxes to be filled in our daily organizers, then we are missing the giftedness of time. Time can be seen in a liturgical sense, with its high feasts, Sabbaths, and ordinary weekly rhythms that can be experienced in a blessed way.

Here are some practical ideas for expanding your prayer life:

Learn time management techniques. If you think you can't pray because you are too busy, time management techniques may help with practical tips for reclaiming your time.

Make prayer a top priority. In "Beginning Contemplative Prayer," Sister Kathryn Hermes reminds us that if we want to draw closer to God, we need to make prayer a priority. A Greek Orthodox priest once told me to think of my prayer time as an "important appointment with God." Make a plan and put it in your day organizer.

Be creative. I know a mother of seven young children who reflects on spiritual reading while nursing her baby. I once saw an athlete unobtrusively finger prayer beads on the walking track at the YMCA. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours during your commute or morning coffee break.

Set a timer. Sound crazy? This technique has many benefits, especially for time-obsessed people like me. I can really lose myself in the prayer activity, setting aside distractions for a later time. The timer is my little servant, who keeps me from being late to work or quitting too soon due to laziness.

Start small and build up your prayer muscles. The amount of time you pray depends upon your past prayer experience, the style of prayer, and your general life situation. If you are beginning a new approach to prayer involving silence, you may need to start off with only five or 10 minutes, suggests Jesuit Father Mark Thibodeaux in his new book "Armchair Mystic." On the other hand, if you like meditating on Scripture or keeping a prayer journal, you may want to schedule half an hour.

Select the time of day carefully. People tell me if they don't pray first thing in the morning, they don't pray that day. Night owls may find praying after the kids are in bed works best.

Stick with your plan. After two weeks, you can fine tune if necessary. Faithfulness to prayer time is an important key to spiritual growth.

Recognize reality. When I first began timed prayer periods, I thought the world would fall apart while I was off "wasting time" with God. Amazingly, I have discovered that friends and family function quite well on their own. Voicemail can wait. I have an appointment with God.

For further reading

Julie McCarty is a free-lance writer from Minnesota with a special interest in prayer. Contact her at soulwriting@yahoo.com.

 


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