The Christophers: ‘Pray As You Can, Not As You Can’t’
- Editor
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Tony Rossi
Director of Communications
_______
Some people find the idea of prayer appealing, but making time for it in their busy lives is another story. As a spiritual director, Becky Eldredge hears this often from people who feel overwhelmed with responsibilities. They say they’ll devote more time to God “when life slows down…when I retire, when the kids are out of the house, when I’m done caregiving for this person in my family.”
While these statements are legitimate and Becky sympathizes, she nevertheless encourages, “Make time for prayer now…Don’t wait. God is here and wants to be with us right now and will meet us right where we are. I always encourage people to be free of expectations of what prayer should look like because I had a wise priest-friend decades ago tell me, ‘Becky, pray as you can, not as you can’t.’ Those words have helped me…move through life and incorporate prayer in the way that made sense for each season.”
“Prayer looked different when my kids were younger,” Becky continued. “My kids are older now. One’s in college. I have a high schooler and a middle schooler. So, my prayer is more anchored in the morning. I can get up before them. But there were long seasons that I was trying to catch prayer during a nap time. When [my husband] Chris and I took care of my grandparents, prayer looked like sitting next to a hospital bed holding their hand, praying in a waiting room. It wasn’t consistent. I’m grateful that I’ve had different spiritual directors throughout my life, and they’ve always encouraged me [to] find the way God’s calling you to be together now…Don’t judge [your own prayer life] by somebody else you see praying. Just be with God in the way He’s offering.”
Becky’s insights reflect St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s words: “Prayer is an aspiration of the heart; it is a simple glance directed to heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.” When we’re spiritually minded, we can turn ordinary moments into opportunities for prayer.
But sometimes, we may want to engage in prayer at home, hoping to quiet our minds and spirits and take a break from the noise of the world. One option in that case can be centering prayer, also known as contemplative prayer. It involves sitting in a quiet place by yourself, focusing on a particular word (such as “Jesus” or “love”), and being open to God’s presence. Chances are that numerous distracting thoughts will drift through your mind while trying to do this. That’s normal and simply the way our brains work.
In their “Faith Reflections” newsletter, the St. Jude League suggests releasing these thoughts when they come and returning to your sacred centering word “as a way to refocus on clearing the way for God.”
The League also offers this prayer to help you prepare: “Lord, quiet my restless mind. Still the racing thoughts, and silence the distractions. Draw me into Your presence, deep within. Let Your peace fill the empty spaces. Let Your voice calm my heart. Teach me to seek You in stillness, knowing that You are always there, guiding, comforting, loving. Amen.”
No matter how we engage in prayer, God will appreciate our efforts. As Rev. John L. Dietzen once wrote, a personal relationship with God “includes sharing with Him our joys and sorrows, our hopes and disappointments, our wonders and our regrets—all of which are nothing else but prayer.”
For free copies of the Christopher News Note TALKING TO GOD, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org
