‘Without prayer we have neither light nor strength to advance in the way which leads to God.’ — St. Alphonsus Ligouri 

Prayer is everything; in order to be the women we are called to be and attain salvation, we must pray.  

Life might be full of chaos, hardship, and uncertainties, but our prayer life must be constant.

Here are three simple ways to improve your prayer life this year:

Prayer Journal

Using a journal to keep track of your prayers and write letters to God can be extremely efficacious in helping you grow in constancy and deepen your love for prayer.

With a prayer journal, I write out my “schedule” each evening — my morning prayers, prayers throughout the day, and evening prayers.  As I pray throughout the day, I check these things off.  I also leave space to write letters of love to Our Lord as well as room to take notes on my spiritual reading.  This encourages me to carve out time for silence and reflection. 

Prayer journaling has been one of the most impactful tools in my life, and I am thrilled to be setting it into a daily practice 2023.  It helps me grow in prayer, as opposed to just going through the motions.  It helps me work on mental prayer, and it reminds me that I am in the presence of God.  

Psst…you can find some beautiful Catholic journals through Etsy.  Here is one I just got! 

Get Up Earlier 

I am a classic night owl, but there is something to be said for waking up early.  Even if it’s a struggle to peel open the eyes, actively choosing to get up earlier is a great way to mortify the will and give those extra moments to the glory of God.  

Busyness is a common excuse today.  I use it too — “I was just so busy, I didn’t spend time praying.” Or “I rushed through my prayers.”  But then I think of the saints, and the busy lives they led.  

They prayed. 

No excuses.

Perhaps  the issue isn’t one of busyness, but time management and prioritization. 

We are created for God’s glory, not the other way around. So get up early and offer your day to God. 

Oh my Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day. For all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union e the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my family, friends and relatives, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

 Find a Spiritual Director

Successful people have coaches or mentors— people who assist them through the nitty gritty, challenge them, and help guide them through each failure and victory. 

We have coaches, fitness instructors, nutritionists, doctors, and so many individuals whose role is to serve us and help us do better.  Our material needs are so vast and so crucial, that sometimes we neglect our spiritual wellbeing.  When in truth, we should start by first attending to our interior lives, so we can life a more meaningful life as a whole — body-soul composite. 

Finding a spiritual director is a game changer.  Through spiritual direction, we can discover our blindspots, what vices we are attached to, and what we can do to have a flourishing spiritual life. 

‘Man has a noble task:

That of prayer and love.

To pray and love, that is the happiness of man on earth.’

– St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney