Sr. Regina Bechtle, SC, is Charism Resource Director for the Sisters of Charity of New York and a spiritual director, retreat leader, writer, and poet. Here she shares with us ways to pray to God, who is always nearby.
In a busy life, it’s a challenge to make space for God. How do I call my scattered self to pay attention to the Presence that permeates every moment?
A young seminarian asked his retreat director, “Is it OK to drink a cup of coffee while I pray?” She replied: “It is if you can pray while you drink your coffee.” Shifting perspective might lead me to think in new ways about prayer and about the God who is always already there.
Long ago, a second-grade teacher impressed upon her class that Jesus wanted them to pray always. When little Maggie earnestly brought this message home, her mother replied: “See now, I’m washing this blanket. Every twist is a prayer. Here’s for your Pop, here’s for you, for your sister and brother. You don’t have to be in church to be always praying.”
That wise mother echoed the sentiments of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who wrote that we are misguided “to imagine that the very employments God gives us shall force us to forget him while we are engaged in them.” God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.
God’s miracles are all around us
If I believe that God is everywhere, I can find many ways to lean in God’s direction. One proven practice is becoming aware of my breathing. Riding the rhythm of each breath, in and out, can focus me on the miracle of life that God gives each moment.
Concrete reminders like church bells or a cellphone alarm invite me to take a prayer break. A sticky note on my bathroom mirror—“I’m right here. Love, God”—makes me stop and smile. When I first became a Sister, I was taught to say “prayers of custom” as I rose, washed, dressed, left my room. Today, in my own words, I still say a prayer of thanks for hot water in the shower, for clothes to wear, for the gift of a new day.
Pray through the day’s events
On your daily commute, pray the news, repeat a mantra, say the rosary, let reflective music become your wordless prayer. Notice how many of your co-travelers are reading the Bible or a book of prayer. Look at the faces around you, silently saying to them, “You are loved by God.”
Pray over your to-do list, seeking God’s help with the day ahead. At night, play back the faces, stories, and happenings of the day and ask, “What inspired me? surprised me? challenged me? moved me?” Questions like these sharpen awareness of God’s elusive, pervasive presence in the midst of ordinary life, “in the tub and at the table,” as Michael Downey writes.
Ask the Spirit to open your ears and gentle your speech before you answer the phone. Embrace interruptions as moments of meeting God.
Finally, know that there is no right way to pray. Trust that the language you and God speak is uniquely yours—your way to meet God in the grace of the moment.