Here are some ways you can strengthen your prayer life:
 

Attend Holy Mass.
Catholic Christians have the joy of listening to God's Holy Word and receiving His Body and Blood at Holy Mass.  God nourishes and strengthens us each time
we receive Him; this is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Resurrected Jesus!  We receive God into our bodies!  Wow!  There is NOTHING GREATER!
Catholics have the gift of being required to participate in Holy Mass each Sunday.   Many Catholics also choose to participate in Holy Mass every day.
If you can not attend Mass each weekday, click here for a link to hear Mass at
The Daily Mass site.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
Attending Mass is the most powerful of all prayers!  Nothing can replace this.  In addition to participating at Holy Mass, you can spend time being with and adoring JESUS in the BLESSED SACRAMENT.  This is one of my most favorite things to do...BE WITH JESUS.  I don't have to say anything.  I can just be with my Saviour.  When I am troubled, He ALWAYS helps me and gives me peace.  I also like to thank Him and praise Him, because
 HE IS SUCH AN AWESOME GOD!!
  Click here for more information on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Pray the Rosary.
This is meditating on parts of the Bible, over and over again, so it can become a part of us.  We reflect on the lives of Jesus and Mary in order to become more like them.  It helps us to live the Gospels.  It is also a great weapon against evil.  If you are troubled, pick up a Rosary, and begin to pray from your heart.  Ask the Virgin Mary to accompany you, as you pray.  And remember,  Jesus says, "Where two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am in their midst." 
To learn how to pray the rosary, click here.

Take time to Read/Pray with the Bible.
This is one significant way that God speaks to us;  Catholics believe God speaks to his Church through the Bible and through sacred Tradition.  (Sacred Tradition preserves doctrines first taught by Jesus to the apostles and later passed down to us through the Church, under the leadership and guidance of the popes and bishops, the successors of the apostles.  Please see 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and  1 Corinthians 11:2.)  Now, back to the Bible, also called Sacred Scripture (the Old and New Testaments).  Catholics believe the Bible was inspired by God.  Please see 2 Timothy 3:16.  If you are sincerely searching for truth -- this is what you will find here -- the TRUTH from God Himself.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church,107, citing Dei Verbum 11 states:

"Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."

Tips for reading the Bible:
Make a commitment of prayerfully reading the Bible each day. Perhaps you can begin by prayerfully reading the Bible five minutes each day.  Great!  Be faithful to your commitment to God.  Most assuredly, He will bless you each time, even if you don't "feel" it.  Remember, this is not about having to "feel" something; although God does, at times, give us consolations.  Don't expect it, though.  This is about listening to God and strengthening the gift of your faith.  If you can commit to more time, do so.  Can you commit to at least 20 minutes, or more?  By all means do your best for God.  (Someone once told me that the time we give to God in prayer is the time that He has to mold us into who He wants us to be;  He also heals us in many ways.)  Be generous in your time with God.  He will bless you abundantly, even if you don't feel it's happening.  You can believe it!

To begin, perhaps you can start with a short prayer.  First, you can make the sign of the cross.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  Then, you can pray a simple prayer, such as:

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

And/or this prayer:

Lord Jesus, open my mind to hear your truth and my heart to love and serve you.  May the Holy Spirit guide my thoughts that I may be ever faithful to You and to Your Church.  In Your Name I Pray.  Amen.

While you are prayerfully reading the Bible, if you come upon a word, verse or phrase that pops out at YOU, stick with it.  Sit with it.  Read it again.  Be with Him, as He is likely speaking to your soul.  Don't rush.  Let Him saturate you with His Word.  He is loving you, and many times, healing you.  He loves you so!  Try it!  When you are ready, you can calmly move on to reading more.

When you are finished, it is a good idea, to close your Bible reading time by praying the Lord's prayer very slowly.

Helpful hint:  Some people find it helpful to read the introduction to the Bible and to each book in the Bible, to learn more.  Also, be sure to read your footnotes.  A Catholic Study Bible maybe something you might like to consider.  A Catholic Bible Commentary is also nice to have on hand, should you desire to get a better idea of what a particular reading is about.

Liturgy of the Hours

This is cool.  Like the Mass, these are prayers that are said in unison, by Priests and Religious and Lay people throughout the world.  They are prayers, recited at various hours throughout each day.  Each time we pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we can be assured that other people are praying the exact same prayers in their own languages throughout the world.  You can buy the Liturgy of the Hours prayerbook at most Catholic book stores.  You may need to ask someone who knows how to pray it to "show you the ropes."

Note:  These days, you can also buy a copy or a subscription to the Magnificat, in order to help you get started.  If you'd like to check it out, click here.

Stations of the Cross
Also known as the Way of the Cross

This is a very popular prayer at many Catholic Churches during the Season of Lent, but it is a good idea to make a habit of praying the Stations of the Cross each day, throughout the year.  In this prayer, we "walk" with Christ during His Passion and Death.  Many Christians travel to the Holy Land to see the places where Jesus walked while on the way to Calvary to be crucified; since we all can not be there each day, we honor Christ by prayerfully joining Him with these prayers.

Scapular

"Whosoever dies clothed in this (scapular) shall not suffer eternal fire."
This is the Virgin Mary's promise made July 16, 1261 to Saint Simon Stock.

Go to a Catholic store and buy a Scapular.  Ask a Priest to bless it, and put it on.  You wear it somewhere on your body, usually around your neck.  There are various kinds of Scapulars, but the Brown Scapular seems to be very popular.  The brown wool represents the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.

The Virgin Mary: 
 " Wear it devoutly and perseveringly," she says to each soul,  "it is my garment.  To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you
 to secure  eternal life."

The devils revealed to Francis of Yepes, the brother of St. John of the Cross, that three things especially tormented them.  First, is the Name of Jesus.  The second is the Name of Mary.  And, the third is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  "Take off that habit," they cried to him, "which snatches so many souls from us.  All those clothed in it die piously and escape us."

Don't forget to pray for the Souls in Purgatory.  They can pray for YOU!

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those
in my own home and within my family.  Amen."

This is called the Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great.  It was dictated by Our Lord to release 1,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said.

There are many Saints who pray for us.  
I highly recommend reading about them...getting to know them.  I consider them to be my friends.  They pray for us in time of need.  There are many Novena Prayers to help you build a friendly relationship with the Saints.

The Angels
They are given to us by God, as signs of His love and His protection. They are very powerful.  You can ask them to help you in many ways.  There are nine choirs of Angels.  You can pray the Glory Be prayer as a gift to honor them.

I recommend praying for the conversion of sinners everywhere, as this is very pleasing to God.
Also,I suggest praying for the intentions of our Holy Mother, Mary.
In addition, each month our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II invites us to pray for his intentions, listed below:
 

March 2002 Prayer Intentions  of Pope John Paul II

General:  For the ecclesial organizations and groups engaged in social action, that in their testimony they may proclaim strongly and consistently the Gospel of love.

Missionary:  That the peoples of the African continent, receiving with a generous heart the
Gospel's message of truth and liberation may dedicate themselves actively to promoting
reconciliation and solidarity.

February 2002 Prayer Intentions of Pope John Paul II

General:  That Catholic hospitals may be outstanding examples in the struggle against suffering and may play a leading role in proclaiming the Gospel of life and of respect
for the human person.

Missionary:  That the Christian communities in Cambodia
and Laos may devote themselves increasingly to the
promotion of priestly and religious vocations.

January 2002 Prayer Intentions of Pope John Paul II

General:  That Christians may intensify their efforts to proclaim together Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world.

Missionary:  That the local churches may know how to carry out a renewed commitment to
evangelization in every sphere or work and life.


Short Prayers

"Jesus, I trust in you."

***
"Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love you.  Save Souls."

***
"Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us."

***
"Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us."

***
"Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Mary's Prayer to the Holy Spirit

'Come Holy Spirit, enlighten my heart to see the things
 which are of God;

Come Holy Spirit into my mind that I may know the
things that are of God;

Come Holy Spirit into my soul that I may belong only
 to God.

Sanctify all that I think, say, and do that all will be for
 the Glory, of God. Amen.'


Daily Offering

O My Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.  In reparation for all my sins, for the intentions of our Holy Father the Pope, the poor Souls in Purgatory, the conversion of sinners, and the reign of Thy Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary throughout the world.  Amen.


Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great
Dictated by Our Lord to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory
each time it is prayed:

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy
Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout
the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
 for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church,
those in my own home and within my family.  Amen."


Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of Battle;
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the
devil.  May God rebuke Him, we humbly pray, and do Thou,
O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God,
cast into hell, satan and all the other evil spirits,
who prowl through the world, seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
( This powerful prayer of exorcism was composed by Pope Leo XIII;
in a vision, he had been shown the fearful battle to be waged between
satan and St. Michael, over the Church of the future.
  Now, as never before, the Church needs the intercession of St. Michael!
Please pray this prayer every day.)


Prayer of Submission
to the Holy Spirit:
The Secret of Sanctity

I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes, you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all the things of sense, and close your ears to all the sounds of earth, so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, speaking there to that Holy Spirit saying:

0 Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore Thee. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything thou permittest to happen to me, only show me what is Thy Will.

If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolation will abound even in the midst of troubles. Grace will be given in proportion to the trial as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the Gates of Paradise full of merit.

This submission to the Holy Spirit is the Secret of Sanctity.   CARDINAL MERCIER


Let me, O Lord, walk blindly on the path that You have traced.
I do not seek to understand Your guidance. -- Edith Stein

Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your vats with finest wines.
-- Psalm 2: 9-10

Make yourself familiar with the angels, and behold them frequently in spirit;
for without being seen, they are present with you. -- St. Francis de Sales

See!  I will not forget you...I have carved you on the palm of my hand.
-- Isaiah 49:15

Thought to Share:

More Prayers and Novenas:
 

 

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