2o Methods for prayer with a few of our favorites

There are a lot of ways and methods of getting into prayer and starting a conversation with God. A huge piece of discernment is developing that relationship through regular, daily prayer. Here are 20 different methods with a few of of our favorites in bold.

1. Amen – This simple prayer means “I believe.”
2. The Sign of the Cross
3. Do a prayer walk and pray for your neighbors as you pass by each home.
-I love this one. We will often take walks around the priory or further into the surrounding neighborhood, simply praying the Rosary and asking for the Lord to watch over those within the different houses. It's also a great witness when as a Dominican in habit you wander the area, praying for those near us.
4. Listen to Christian music. Let the lyrics lead you in prayer
5. Set an alarm to remind you to pray every day at 3pm. This is the Hour of Mercy. “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
6. Choose to fast from something (music, food, technology) for the day
7. Sit outside and adore the beauty of God’s Creation
8. The Hail Mary
9. Make a box to store prayer cards and holy cards. Pull one out when you need to pray
10. The Apostles Creed
11. Meet a friend for a Prayer Date or gather several people, and pray together.
-We can often try to throw ourselves into ministry and work and forget that prayer is the heart from which all the lifeblood of our life flows. Prayer is one of our Dominican pillars of life and it is from this contemplation of God that everything else comes from.
12. The Our Father
13. Create a list of all the things you are thankful for and praise God for His goodness
-I cannot praise this type of prayer enough. We forget so often that everything in our life comes from God. As Dominicans who live a life of poverty this is especially important, we by necessity have to hold our hands out to God and have faith in His fidelity.  Gratitude for all that we have been given is one of the pillars of the Christian Life.
14. The Angelus
15. Pray as you do household chores such as dishes and laundry. Lift up the needs of the person you are serving through your task
16. Scroll through the contacts on your phone and pray for each name you come across
17. Go to Adoration. Sit with the Lord and enjoy being in His presence
18. Spiritually Adopt an Unborn Child and commit to praying for them over the next 9 months
19. Offer your day for a specific intention for a loved one, friend or stranger
20. Attend Mass as often as you can – our highest form of prayer
-The Eucharist is the summit and center of our Faith. Attending in and participating in Daily Mass is one of the easiest practices we can start to develop. And if you're considering religious life you better get used to going to Mass often!