I remember the moments spent in adoration, kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and being overwhelmed by God’s overflowing mercy, grace, and love. I remember the first time I fully participated in the Mass, from beginning to end, and how it finally clicked why that is the greatest form of prayer. In these moments, I remember how effortless it was to clasp my hands together, lower my head, and lay down my everything in prayer.
Prayer becomes so much easier when we’re surrounded by examples of our faith, either at the Mass, youth night, a parish event, or even at a retreat. The atmosphere sets the tone and the words just tend to naturally flow better. But eventually, we need to leave the four walls of the church, return home, and go back into the world. Our faith is not confined to one space and that applies to our prayer life, too. However, being in the world, it might not always be easy to sit down and pray. Some days our words will fail us, our prayer time will fall short, and we become unable to hear God’s voice. But when that happens, God will always be there to remind us “Fear not, I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).
The thing about our faith is that it is ever-changing and always evolving — that includes our prayer life, too. Sometimes it is in these prayer ruts that we are able to discover new ways to pray and deepen our relationship with God. And sometimes where we find Him is in the most boring, mundane moments in our lives.
Waiting in Line
It seems the world is full of lines. Lines at the DMV, lines in the cafeteria, and don’t get me started on the lines at Disneyland. While waiting in line, I usually find myself scrolling through social media, hoping that time (and the line) would move a tiny bit faster. But instead, let us offer a prayer for patience. Take the time to reflect on other moments in your life where you need to offer God control and know that all things will be done according to His time.
Folding the Laundry
Doing laundry can be a tedious task and might take up the whole day, depending on the amount you’re washing. Then folding and putting the laundry away is a whole other process in itself. As tedious as it is, however, it can be another opportunity to enter into prayer with God. With every crease and fold, take the time to reflect on the blessings you’ve received throughout the week. You’ll realize just how present God is in our lives and unlike socks in the dryer, He will never disappear and go missing,
Taking a Shower
Showering can be one of many things: it can be the first thing you do in the morning or it could be part of your day where you destress and unwind. To others, it can also become a one-person karaoke session, along with a few ‘shower thoughts’ here and there. To me, it’s all of this, but oddly enough, I also look at it as a time to pray. God doesn’t just want the good parts of us that we decide to show Him — He wants all of us: the broken, the vulnerable, and even the dirtiest parts of us. It can be an odd thing to do at first, but I find that I have some of my deepest prayers while taking a shower.
Making Your Bed
There are many mornings where I see making my bed as a herculean task, often over-exaggerating the difficulty, compared to the reality of it. But then there are other mornings where I do it right away and then enter into a few minutes of prayer with God afterward. Those moments, I compare making my bed to getting the house ready for guests. And the guest I’m inviting for the day is God. Although God is ever-present, it is important that we invite Him into our lives at the start of every morning. Let making your bed be the start of that invitation and allow that invitation be a way to hear God the first thing in the morning.
On the Road
The start of a road trip is always filled with laughter, fun, and excitement. But there will come a time when energy levels will drop and everyone will end up falling asleep except for you and the driver — or just you if you are also the driver. Take this time to sit in the silence, look out the car window, and bask in the glory of God’s creation that is this planet. Know that He created everything with a purpose and that includes you, too. Do not be afraid of silence, either. It may be difficult and hard, but sometimes we need silence in order to hear God the best. So as you travel over state borders or into different counties, go on a journey with God too and be open to where He takes you.
In building a relationship with God, there is a great need to spend time in prayer. Whether it’s dedicated time in the Mass or during youth night, or just finding time to pray in our daily lives, we need prayer in order to keep our faith growing ever stronger. Remember that God is always present, but sometimes we may need to discover new ways and methods to pray in order to clearly hear His words. So it is my hope and prayer that you will use these examples as a stepping stone to boldly pray in the most boring and mundane moments in your lives. And with every crease and fold of freshly washed sheets, we’ll be praying with you, too.
