Information for making time to meditate, spend time with your god and pray. Relaxing ideas for doing this anytime in anyplace.
We live in a world that is moving at an ever faster rate. It seems like we're always on the go, and often, our spiritual lives get neglected. Sometimes, even if we are religious, we can't seem to find the time to pray! When this happens, sooner or later, we experience burnout. That's why it is SO important to find time for prayer. Nothing else can renew the soul for the work it has to do.
The first, and most important step in finding the time to pray, is realizing that God loves and accepts you, even when you aren't praying like you "should". Getting over guilt and anxiety about not praying is a major hurdle. Wherever you are, whenever it occurs to you that you haven't been praying enough, simply stop for a moment and ask God to forgive you, then ask Him to help you find the time to pray.
The second step, which follows naturally from the first, is to realize that God is with you all the time, no matter how far away YOU feel. He is always listening. Often we think we have to create a certain environment or set aside a special time of significant length in order to pray, but this is not so. That is not to say that these "quiet times" are not important - they are. But anytime, anywhere is the right time to pray. Traffic jams, long lines, cooking dinner, cleaning the house - all these events provide opportunities for short but meaningful prayers. A friend of mine used the term "popcorn prayers" for those little prayers you just send up to God whenever they "pop up". The more you do this, the closer to God you will feel, and therefore, the more centered and balanced you will be in your life. Like any habit, it may take a little time to form, but ask Him to help you and He will. And I guarantee you, your life will take on a calmer, more spiritual tone.
If you can begin to associate ordinary tasks with spiritual things, this will help too. For instance, when you wash dishes, think about the spiritual meaning of cleanliness, and pray for a "clean" heart, and you will soon begin to associate washing dishes with praying. When you are stuck in traffic, ask God for patience. Or spend the time praying for others. Ask God to give you names of people to pray for, and then see who pops into your mind. You could pray for the guy in the car next to you!
The third step is to begin to take time out just for prayer. Start with ten minutes, and work up to thirty, or even longer if you can. Any time that you can shut the door on the world for a few moments, and do nothing but communicate with the Creator, will benefit you greatly. Don't worry about doing it right - He will meet you where you are. If you are fidgety, stressed-out, don't know what to pray for - just tell Him how you feel. Ask Him to get you in the right frame of mind and to help you pray, and then whatever words come to mind, say them out loud. There's something about praying out loud that is so effective. When our minds and our mouths are engaged in prayer, the distractions are neutralized and our hearts become engaged. That is when the healing begins. A sense of calm energy comes, we connect to the love of our Creator, and we can face the world with a stronger faith and a sense of balance and perspective. This, in turn, contributes to less time wasted because of stress and the mistakes it causes.
Ultimately, prayer will help you save time in this way. And the more you believe in it, the more you will see the truth of it. Start right now, at this moment - you won't regret it.
