Three Secrets of Busy Catholic Moms Who Pray Every Day

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Hello and welcome! I struggled to pray every day the first DECADE of my vocation as a mother. Most days, I simply couldn’t find the time to pray… and I felt awful about it. 

If you find yourself in the same boat, there is hope! Prayer is an essential part of your vocation as a mother and daughter of God. You do NEED to pray every day, and with these three simple rules, you can do exactly that!
And so, pop in those earbuds and have a listen:

The Highlights:

The Three Secrets of Busy Catholic Moms Who Pray Every Day are to pray first, pray before, and pray public. 

Pray First: When a quiet moment arrives, pray first! Don’t spend “just a minute” folding laundry, loading the dishwasher, or responding to messages. Pray immediately.
Pray Before: What are a few things you want to do every day, without fail? Use these things to trigger a reminder to pray. When you feel the urge to check Instagram, listen to a podcast, or even crawl into bed, stop and remind yourself that you can only do these enjoyable things after you have prayed. 
Declare Your Prayer: Declare your prayer intentions…even if you are just getting into the habit. Your husband, friends, priest, and even your kids can gently hold you accountable. Worried you will change your prayer plan? Don’t worry, they get it. Just share the new plan, and get after it!

A quick note on discipline. 
These secrets will only serve you if you use them, and using them will take discipline. When the baby is finally sleeping, you will still want to start scrolling. A little voice will even tell you that you earned this…and that there will likely be time to pray later.
This is the enemy.
The enemy knows that if you develop the discipline to obey these three simple rules every day, you will become a woman of prayer and a pillar of support for your family. He does not want that to happen.
Remember, discipline is simply respecting yourself. Make a commitment to pray first, before, and publicly. Follow through on that commitment, and grow in friendship with Christ Who will sustain, guide, and comfort you in this vocation.

Wondering how to pray each day? 

Here’s what I suggest. Most days it takes about 20 minutes, but it can be stretched into something much longer.

• Begin.
  • Make the Sign of the Cross, and slowly say an Our Father.
• Read.
  • Read the Daily Readings, and record at least one verse in your prayer journal. Strive to really prayerfully explore this passage.
• Journal.
  • I always begin by pouring my heart out to the Lord. Thanking Him, begging for forgiveness, and asking Him how I can deal with my latest struggle.
  • Then, I simply write, “Lord, what is Your will for me today?” Usually, I have to sit and listen for a bit, but the Lord always gives me something. Sometimes, it is a simple reminder to be joyful. Other times, it’s a person’s name. Once in a while, it’s a specific task I’ve forgotten about or have been avoiding.
  • Finally, I always close prayer with an act of surrender. I simply write, “Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
• Plan.
  • I close my prayer journal and pull up my calendar. On a blank sheet of paper, I roughly block out the day ahead and finalize my decision on what I will make for dinner.

And Finally, Be Gentle With Yourself

In some seasons, prayer will look like praying a Rosary while nursing a colicky baby and the bigger kids watch Paw Patrol. In others, you might enjoy a full 30 minutes of prayer after sending the kids off to school.
Regardless, be good to yourself, and know that God wants only what you can offer. He values faithfulness above success.
Strive to pray every day… and when you fail, start again the following day. I will be praying for you as you become a woman of faithful, daily prayer!

In Christ Jesus,
Nancy