Praying the Psalms 1

How do I pray is a common question, even the disciples had to ask Jesus for guidance! Here are a few tips to get improve your prayer life. 1. Place Find a good place to pray, where you won't be disturbed or distracted. Ideally, it should be a separate place, whose only purpose is for meeting with God.  That spot becomes associated in your mind with meeting God.  It helps to focus the mind - this is my prayer chair, not my TV chair. It is good to have notebooks, pens and bibles to hand so you don't get interrupted to go and find them. If you have a busy life and get distracted by daily tasks - Have a distraction notebook - if your mind wanders to a task you need to remember, jot a note in your distraction notebook and then forget about it.  You can deal with that later without worrying you might forget.  It will minimise the time you are distracted. 2. Time Set a regular time that you can stick to. Monks set aside up to 8 daily prayer times - at 3 hour intervals, Matins (during the night); also called Vigils or Nocturns. Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.) Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = 6 a.m.) Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = 9 a.m.) Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = 12 noon) None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = 3 p.m.) Vespers or Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps", generally at 6 p.m.) Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.) If you are not a Monk and have a family or a job or like to sleep occasionally - this probably won't work for you! But look at the list and see if a particular time stands out for you, as free of distractions and best for setting aside for God. No time is more holy than another. Some people insist that early morning prayer on waking is best, to set you up for the day. But if you have children to feed and lunches to pack and PE kit to find, to get them ready for school, this may be your busiest time of the day.  Mid-morning may be ideal, the kids are at school, the babies asleep, no distractions. Some people prefer the night prayer, to review the events of the day with God.  But if you get home from a long days work and commute and all you want to do is fall into bed or stare at the TV dead from the neck up, this time will not work for you! You may decide on an hour on waking and an hour before bed, or 30 mins, or 15, or only 5. You may decide that 7 days a week is just not possible with your schedule so choose Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  It is better to pick something you can stick to rather than overstretch yourself, get disheartened and give up.  Once you have a habit developed you can increase your prayer time a little bit at a time. Pick a regular time slot, schedule it in your diary if you have too, and stick to it. 3. Transition Time A period of transition is useful to help you focus your mind and free you from concerns of the world. You may have a special ritual, like lighting a candle. You may use a favorite worship song - don't pick a new one, choose a song that aids the transition.

I have some favourite transitional songs that I listen to, sing or read - I love O Jesus I have promised and Dear Lord and Father of mankind because they have 3 lovely transitional verses, An acknowledgment of the commitment we have made to each other, a request for help against distractions, and an expectation to hear from God. O Jesus I have Promised O Jesus, I have promised To serve Thee to the end; Be Thou forever near me, My Master and my Friend; I shall not fear the battle If Thou art by my side, Nor wander from the pathway If Thou wilt be my Guide. I have promised to serve you, you have promised to be with me. Oh, let me feel Thee near me; The world is ever near; I see the sights that dazzle, The tempting sounds I hear; My foes are ever near me, Around me and within; But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, And shield my soul from sin. Help me to stay focused and not be distracted. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking, In accents clear and still, Above the storms of passion, The murmurs of self-will; Oh, speak to reassure me, To hasten, or control; Oh, speak, and make me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul. Expect to hear from God - My Sheep hear my voice. Dear Lord and Father of mankind Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm. Go to Praying the Psalms 2