Prayer and the Modern Burden

Prayer places our intellect in the brilliance of God’s light and exposes our will to the warmth of his heavenly love, nothing else so effectively purifies our intellect of ignorance and our will of depraved affections. It is a stream of holy water that flows forth and makes the plants of our good desires grow green and flourish and quenches the passions within out heart. - St. Francis de Sales-

Perhaps the most common theme among men I have had the pleasure of sharing a small group with is their whole hearted desire to pray more. They know, that if they spent just ten more minutes, or even ten minutes a day in prayer they would see a tremendous transformation in their own spiritual lives and the spiritual wellbeing of their families. Then why, year after year, session after session, do we come with a desire and an understanding of the necessity of prayer, but look to the floor in embarrassment as we report on our lack of time spent with God over the last week?

This is certainly not a problem limited to men, nor am I immune to the temptations and distractions of our hurried lives, in fact it is a largely ignored and unaddressed problem for most of the world today. More than ever do we find ourselves complaining to our co-workers and families about the lack of time that we have to address our needs and to find time for leisure. While at the same time we are head down in our phones scrolling through our social media feeds for the 15th time this morning. Never before have generations been more “plugged in” and “connected” to the world around us, but never more have people felt further away from friends and had a harder time carving out time for true friendships or honest reflection. Shoot, just this morning I got up at 5:30am to get reading done, and spent 15 minutes scrolling through sports stories and watching highlights, many I had already seen before.

The answer is simple, simpler than people are willing to admit. We fail to prioritize properly and inundate our days with time wasted or time spent in leisure activities that do not satisfy the heart or bare good fruit. We prioritize the pleasures and goods of this world over time spent with God and his spiritual gifts. We turn away from the practicing of virtues in favor of the protection and development of our public image. We sacrifice our internal and spiritual well-being so as to seek out worldly affirmation, as if ten minutes not spent on our phone but in prayer is a sacrifice too great to be made. Heed the warning of St. Josemarie Escriva.

“Do not forget the fig tree, for it was doing something but baring no fruit, and was cursed forever… Fight against the softness that makes you lazy and careless in your spiritual life. Remember that it might well be the beginning of tepidity… and, in the words of Scripture, God will vomit out the lukewarm.” The Way 325 and 354

Spiritual stagnation in inexcusable, if we are not seeking to grow closer to God and dedicating our day to the practice of the virtues, we are in reality not maintaining but sliding further away from God.

"A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions." (CCC 1803) I am not suggesting that technology is evil and that any time not spent in prayer and speaking of God is but a waste. I am merely calling us as men to have a more active faith and to make a conscious effort to reflect upon our actions of the day and ask if we are using our time to glorify God and grow spiritually. Each moment, each interaction, each day that God has so blessed us with on earth is an opportunity to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make an impact on others by our witness. It is in our honest seeking of the truth and the good that we will see great growth in ourselves and the lives of our friends and families. We are called to and our hearts desire to rest in the Lord, let us ensure we are taking the time to do so.

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Phil 4:8

How do we ensure such an opportunity to foster a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? By starting a revolution, a revolution of silence. We must embrace silence and encourage it in our homes. Carve it out, schedule it, and make it family affair. Time spent in silence, reflecting on the scriptures or in conversation with our Lord will bless you with immeasurable graces.

“In silence and stillness the devout soul advances and learns the hidden truth of Scripture. There it finds the salutary tears that wash away the guild of sin, so that it grows more intimate with God as it severs itself from the clamor of the world.”- The Imitation of Christ

We must not be afraid to take an honest look at our lives, how we are spending our day, and if we have properly prioritized how and with whom we are spending our time. Take the time, make the time, to spend in prayer and thanksgiving. It will benefit the spiritual development of your soul and the souls in which you interact with daily.

God love you and God Bless.