Prayer Life

“Don’t give up your prayer life for anything,” a religious Sister told me as a pearl of wisdom on my recent cross-country trip. 

What is a prayer life? 

Well, what is your relationship like with your best friend? You want to spend time with them, talk to them, listen to them, see them—in a word share life. 

Grace is a sharing in the divine life. Sanctifying grace unites us to God. We obtain actual graces through prayer, through practicing virtue and serving Him. Our prayer life is about our relationship with God--this life of grace in Him, and this looks different for every individual. 

The highest form of prayer is contemplation—and the highest form of that is infused or given by God and the soul simply receives. We must cultivate this receptivity by getting out of the way, letting God in, and a willingness to surrender. 

Prayer is prayer and we can strive for union with Him through our liturgical prayer, vocal prayers like the rosary, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament—ultimately though, it’s a loving awareness of His presence in every moment of our life, and knowing His gaze rests on our souls.