Prayer can jumpstart our day and life, but it is never something we simply jump into. It also cannot be left to chance, as chances are the sun will set, our eyes will close, and our intention to pray will often evaporate into the darkness. Prayer requires some structure and attention, because distractions are inevitable.

This first day of this stretch of prayer is a time of getting ready to journey into the heart of Christ with a burning desire to further imitate him.

Tasks for Today

1. Fix a prayer time each day. Make this time non-negotiable, even if it means an earlier rising.
2. Choose a place that is quiet and readily available.
3. Beg for fidelity to keep these promises for the length of time decided upon.
4. Have a copy of The Imitation of Christ at hand so that the verses you pray over are seen in context.

Some Prayer Considerations

1. Breathe in life and exhale selfishness and self-preoccupation.
2. Check your chair and posture or your cushion and the floor space. Is it prayerful yet comfortable?
3. Enjoy your tea or coffee ahead of prayer. Try not to sip during God’s time. The rest of the day is readily available to enjoy this blessing.
4. Recall God’s sacred presence now and always. For Jesus promised to be with us until the end of time.
5. Let your prayer end when it ends. Set a timer, if desired.
6. Carry your thoughts throughout the day. One sentence from The Imitation of Christ will do. As one hot sauce ad says, “A dab will do you!”
7. Let distractions get buried in the heart of Love. Do not stew over them. Prayer is our effort; the fruits are God’s.
8. Decide what you will paint or design to recall your prayer. Perhaps you are an artist in words. If so, write them down. Do not trust your memory, as the words or design may be buried in the day’s routines and forgotten.
9. Thank God for the blessings and insights received. Or for the blankness that clears a space for tomorrow. All of prayer is gift, grace, and blessing.
10. Above all, pray as you can, NOT as you can’t. Rise in peace and continue your day.

Pray

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be re-created, and you shall renew the face of the earth. Help me to know Christ better and imitate him more devoutly in the ordinary routines and encounters of today. Amen.

 

-Chapter 1 of Thirty Days Praying The Imitation of Christ: A Companion to the Classic by Bridget Haase