How to Keep Praying When it’s Hard (St. Catherine of Siena)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Prayer can get difficult. It's hard to maintain attention. Sometimes our prayer feels "dry". We don't know what to say. We don't feel God's presence.
The reality is, this is what it looks like to practice prayer and grow deeper and deeper in a relationship with Jesus. You don't become a mystical prayer warrior overnight. And neither did St. Catherine of Siena.
She reveals to us that, when we become discouraged in prayer, it is often the devil's influence. He hates prayer, and he will use every difficulty and insecurity he can against God's children in order to hamper their prayer lives.
Today, Dr. Edward Sri offers a simple truth that will guard your prayer against the lies of the evil one.
Looking to dive deeper into a prayerful relationship with God? Dr. Edward Sri guides us through the foundational principles of prayer in his new study, When You Pray: A Clear Path to a Deeper Relationship with God. Watch a free preview here: tinyurl.com/yc...
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I used to be able to pray the entire rosary thrice a day with a clear mind but now Im in a very depressed situation where I can barely eat, shower, get out of bed, study, talk to anybody and I can only pray for twenty minutes if that. Thank you for this. It brought me to tears.
If you're in a place where you're feeling that way, it would not hurt to reach out for help. Prayer is powerful, but God also wants us to co-labor with Him and reach out for help if we need it. God provides us with other human beings along with their talents to help others, so He works His miracles through them. When you have a broken bone, you pray but you also go to the doctor. The same goes for mental health. I pray you get through whatever struggle you are facing. God bless you.
I’m very sorry to hear of your health struggles. I had difficult issues, including anxiety & depression, after my beloved husband passed away & then lost my livelihood unexpectedly soon after. I was blessed to get a spiritual director through my parish & also a Catholic therapist… both helped me significantly work through my grief & other tough issues. I also saw a doctor to rule out any medical problems. My heart goes out to you & I pray for your health, peace & comfort. May our Good Lord bless you in every way. Keeping you in my prayers 🙏🙏🙏Dee
There is a way out of even the most depressing, dark days. I am living proof. I sought help and am depression-free nearly 15 years later. And that was after 20 years of suffering through depression. There is hope.
Hope you feel better soon. Depression is really hard. I'm sorry you have to go through it. Blessings to you.
I feel you. May Our Lord grant us perseverance.
God is pleased with your perseverance. Imagine you’re watching your child try and try and try. Are you proud of your child’s perseverance? Of course. That’s God looking at you.
AMEN
Just this morning I could tell prayer was dry as it was at mass too. My spirits lifted just a little when I realized I was given a gift, the gift of that dryness, to offer back to the Father. I win whether consoled, desolate, dry, or tranquil because of Christ who bestows all things upon me. I am as the little child who receives some money from his father to buy a gift for his mother, and even that poverty in prayer can be a gift to be re-gifted.
Feeling dry at mass is so sad!!! It has stopped me from participating in communion before. I feel guilty participating when I don't feel trully connected 😢
I'm so glad I saw this. My son is in seminary, and i told him that sometimes I feel separated from God and am ashamed and dont feel like praying. ,.He said that everyone feels this way at times, but the key is to never stop praying, even if you dont want to--just like this video says. And it works! I begin to grow closer to our Lord again. Blessings to you all ❤
Thank you for doing this. This has been me for a couple of yrs. My mom passed, then my nephew, my younger sister, my daughter's grandma & several cousins. My daughter is disobeying, sneaking out & staying out late & doing drugs. My work hours were cut, losing my health insurance. It'll be a struggle to pay rent, food & necessities. I may have to move but I don"t want to leave my developmentally disabled sister & her son. 2 siblings & 3 friends quit talking to me. I'm just so very, very hurt that I struggle to pray.
I appreciate you being here !
Sometimes I think your right …..GOD forgive me for the sins that have been on my soul, I’m sorry….🙏 I have confessed to my priest my sins that I had made over 40 years…..I hope GOD hears me…..❤
God has certainly heard you.
God delights in your turning back to Him and receiving His Mercy and Grace! Wonderful!
Oh God listens to you. He really does. He’s shown me personally that He is listening. Just when I think He is too busy or I’m not pleasing to Him, He comes back and answers me. It’s weird how He does it, but if you pay close attention, He is talking back to you. I challenge you to see how he is answering back!
Thank you for this! I often feel so mediocre at praying like my prayers aren’t good enough for God yet he never ceases to bless my family’s life. that proves what you’re saying to be so true he knows our hearts.
Thank you for this!!! I needed it big time! ❤ y’all, Kristy 😃🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for this reminder. She is also one of my favorite saints. I saw her head and body when I went traveling through Italy (they’re not in the same place btw). She absolutely one of the coolest saints.
The reason I stopped praying is because rad trads convinced me my prayer wasn’t good enough as it was. I like to ad lib my own prayers, I know prayers too, but I like making my own bc of a line in Bruce Almighty. God said to Bruce to pray from the heart, and I thought that was good advice. But rad trads got in my head, telling me such prayer isn’t good enough. Now I’ve come back to doing that, bc I found God did listen to my prayers. He let me know very certainly that He listens to me. So I’ve come back to praying the way I’ve always prayed.
Amen. I use a lot of church prayers but also freelance my prayers sometimes. I think that mine is from growing up Protestant before converting. I think that God appreciates our good intentioned prayers, and our efforts to pray and connect with him. God bless 🙏
Thank you so much for this video. I've always asked myself all the time, why am I so bad at praying? I'm so distracted all the time, my mind wanders and I forget what I am praying all the time, and I feel empty as well, but I still continue to pray and try my hardest to pay attention and only focus on Jesus. I'm still struggling, but I'm getting a little better. The devil is possibly the one to blame. It makes sense. He wants us all to stop praying. Well devil scumbag you will never get me to stop praying. I belong to Jesus not to you. God Bless to everyone. Jesus I Trust In You.
This was really encouraging. I'm so distracted at times. Thank you for this message.
On the example of children giving their mom a vase of weed plants, did the children think of gift as ugly weed plants? I think they looked at the weeds as a nice gift. So it is really about how you feel for what you are giving out. Those kids believed the weeds to be a good gift and valuable, the mother simply rejoiced in it.
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏 I needed this today
Iv heard priests say , "God wants our commitment not our intentions",
I pray only a few times a day. I abandoned my rosary completely and I don’t want to.
Pray, then, for the grace to hang on. Give God that "I don't wanna" feeling; see what He does with it.
*Hand on heart* this was so encouraging ❤
God has allowed my guardian angel to get me to this video clip. I encountered several people who criticized me for acting like Saints, I am not, but I need to pray more for me so God can change me before I continue to pray for others. So I told God, please tell me what to do. Then I get this clip.
Thank you very much. This was of deep blessing to me.
This was beautiful and very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you for this video ❤️
This was excellent!! Thank you. :-)
Ohhh Lord this is so beautiful! 🙏
I was picking up trash at a private events club that I use to work at when I saw the most beautiful woman in the world walk across the hall. My jaw dropped. She caught me oggling her and she shook her head in disgust. I said a quick prayer asking God to help her become a Christian so I could take her on a date. Thirty-seven months later we were getting married. Thats her in my profile picture. God called her home in Jan2021.
You can pray anywhere at anytime for anything, but be careful what you pray for - God is listening!
@Ascension Presents
For someone who feels truly abandoned by God despite their humble efforts to stay in line with him, how do they carry on?
Can u do a vid on it or have u done one already?
Thank u
Just like we carve out time for all sorts of day to day activities..we need to "check in" with the Lord on our way to work or when standing in line at Post office or grocery store, when I'm walking the dogs
Greetings Dr.Edward,
Thoughts :-
-> Message reflect with, "The Examen Prayers and Rosary Prayers Spiritually strengthen One's Own Holy Faith in Holy Eucharist in Lord Jesus Christ's Path in all occasions in every aspects."
With regards,
Ranjith Joseph (R.J)
“You are she who is not, whereas I am He who is...God had a big pile of nothing and from it He created everything.” ~St. Catherine of Siena
Beautiful
4:07 “He sees our hearts; He sees our intention.”
“This exchange consists of God taking our human existence on himself in order to bestow his divine existence on us, of his choosing our nothingness in order to give us his plenitude.” ~Pope Benedict XVI✝
Amen!! As a recently cancer diagnosed patient, when I am praying I find myself thinking negative thoughts that start bringing me worry. Then I catch myself and I rebuke those thoughts, because I know they come from the enemy. I then tell God to forgive me for the distraction and continue to pray. I have nothing to offer our Lord, but I humbly surrender my illness to Him, because although I have a great medical team (which I know He placed in my path), I know its Him that guides and protects me. Even with an imperfect prayer, He hears us! Thank you Lord for your love and compassion!
The Lord does hear you. May he bless you, comfort, and heal you. Amen 🙏
@@StAlphonsusHasAPosse Amen!! Thank you for your comment. I will be of testimony to the healing powers of our Lord!
Thank you for this content… needed to hear it tonight.
Very nice evidence 🙏very pretty feeling full of love and Faith 🙏
This talk has helped me tremendously. Thank you.
God sees EVERYTHING we do.
Straight bars in this video
I pray but I don't prayer enough I can do more I am going to try
Amen 🙏
Awesome family story. Thanks for sharing!
My Prayers are so powereful
Absolutely , I show up with God and say , God , you know , it’s the same old…and sometimes I can’t shut up.
I have ADHD so unfortunately this is an every day problem. I can sit in mass and be very determined to pay attention but within minutes my mind is drifting.
I try not to blame ADHD or let it control my life. But at the same time it’s very frustrating when this happens so often.
Great video.
How to pray daily?
How to pray powerfully
This is my whole prayer life barren I pray frequently throughout the day just a few minutes on top of morning & night time but still feel forsaken
Don't give up. Keep praying whether you feel like or not. Otherwise, Satan wins
😂😂
Thank you and Amen 🙏🏾
Amen
Any recommendations for prayers? Thank you 🙏🏽 amen
♥️
🙏🙏🙏.Thank you
That really touched my heart; that God delights like a parent in these scraggly weeds of prayers. Or nothing. Just show up. Thank you for this ❤
Amen.
I hope St. Catherine can help me
Thanks 🙏
Why did Jesus never teach to pray to Mary?
Jesus didn't leave a book, but an institution.
If you or anyone is looking for a defense for the veneration of saints there are many free resources online the Catholic/Orthodox Churches have put out.
Saint or Mary veneration wasn't even an issue till the 1500's...
@@nathanp.claiborne8276 I'm sure Jesus after His resurrection guided the apostles to write down the gospel.
I'm sure Jesus guided them to write down what he taught and preached.
Jesus did teach how to pray but why did Jesus never teach to pray to Mary?
@@nathanp.claiborne8276 You must be a Protestant. As Christians we pray along with Mary as apostles used to do. (Acts 1:13-14) Holy Rosary is a 100% biblical prayer where we contemplate the sacred mysteries of our Lord Jesus Christ.
@@mathtutoring7509 I'm sure Jesus after His resurrection guided the apostles to write down the gospel.
I'm sure Jesus guided them to write down what he taught and preached.
Jesus did teach how to pray but why did Jesus never teach to pray to Mary?
Thank you and Amen 🙏🏾
This man is truly amazing
I would pray more, but I’m not worthy of God, and since God isn’t listening anyway, I don’t see the point.
You ARE worthy of God and the more you pray, the more you will feel it. God bless you
@@StAlphonsusHasAPosse I wish I felt that way
@markantonelli53 Satan loves to get between us and God. That's his job. That's what is happening here. There are only two ways this can end:
1. Satan convinces you that you are not worth God's love (He wins) or
2. Turn back to God and pray. Tell Him you need Him in your life. Confess your sins and ask forgiveness. Tell Him that you love Him, and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill your life. God is waiting for you.
Who is going to win here? You or Satan? Do you really want Satan to win? Then keep feeling unlovable and sorry for yourself. You will regret this for the rest of your life and the next. The stakes are high, and you need to make your move.
Everyone feels like you do sometimes. But God created you and loves you and wants you back. He never turns us away. You have to put in some work here, and He will embrace you like the prodigal son. (You win)
So keep praying! Go to church! Talk to a priest or a good Christian that you know. God gives us free choice. Make the right one and let God love you. Life will never be easy. Our reward is happiness forever in the next life. Sorry to write so much, this is just on my heart because it happened to me. God loves you unbelievably. He knows we are sinners, and is quick to forgive. Ask Him today. I am praying for you to win
Thank you dr. Edward!