The Prayer Habit: Finding A Reason to Talk with God

Summary

The article discusses the transformative power of prayer as a daily habit, emphasizing its ability to change lives and deepen one's connection with God, inspired by Matthew Kelly's teachings.

Abstract

The article titled "The Prayer Habit: Finding A Reason to Talk with God" delves into the importance of prayer as a life-changing habit, as advocated by Matthew Kelly. The author, who identifies as a "super-protestant" and has been part of various Christian denominations, shares a personal journey towards becoming a prayer warrior. Influenced by a Catholic neighbor, the author has been watching daily videos from Dynamic Catholic's "Best Lent Ever" series, which focuses on the theme of personal transformation rather than mere sacrifices during Lent. The author reflects on the discipline instilled from childhood, such as making the bed, and draws parallels to the consistency required in prayer. The article underscores prayer as an essential daily habit that keeps one connected to God, who is described as the ultimate source of peace and guidance, referencing Philippians 4:6–7. The author also mentions the impact of habit formation on personal development, citing the book "The Power of Habit" and its influence on a younger coworker. The article concludes with the notion that prayer resets one's perspective and contributes to one's eternal becoming.

Opinions

The author values the discipline of forming habits, such as making the bed, and sees this discipline as analogous to the spiritual discipline of prayer.
Prayer is seen not just as a means to ask for needs but as a way to align one's vision with God's will, thus resetting one's perspective.
The author, though not Catholic, finds the resources from Dynamic Catholic's "Best Lent Ever" series uplifting and beneficial in cultivating a prayer habit.
The article suggests that personal transformation, particularly becoming closer to God, is more significant than the traditional focus on giving up something for Lent.
The author believes in the power of prayer as a lifeline and comp

Make your bed and say your prayers

Did you know that there is a habit that can change your life?

According to Matthew Kelly, there is.

I’m not a Catholic. I’m Protestant; what I call a super-protestant. Haha, how does that happen, you ask? Well.. I have been a member of the following denominations — Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Nazarene.

I’m just joking. There’s nothing super about me. At least spiritually, that is. As a mom and a wife, I have been known to exhibit a few superpowers. Prayer is not my superpower, to-date. I’m lukewarm-to-warm at this, but I want to be HOT. I long to be a prayer warrior like others in my church.

My neighbor, a Catholic, pointed me to the above-linked website. I’ve been watching the brief videos daily since and have been uplifted every day. The topic of the linked video is “habit.” What I love most about this entire series is the theme: “It’s not what you give up, but Who You Become.”

Wow.

I was raised in a home where habits were important. Get out of bed when the alarm goes off (no snooze alarm in that house!). Brush teeth, put laundry away, clean up after yourself. Of course, clean your plate. (Those starving children in China and India were conjured up weekly.)

Make. Your. Bed.

So, this is the one daily habit that aggravated me throughout my youth, though I was never disobedient. However, I vowed when I lived on my own, I wouldn’t make my bed every day. I got married and gave that silly idea a try. No matter how clean a room is, if the bed’s unmade, well, duh, the room’s a mess!

I make my bed.

I talked about this to a coworker some years ago. He reported to me and we were having a conversation about planning, being consistent, managing people. I raised the issue of developing habits. (He was a millennial. I know. I raised three of ‘em.)

He came back to me not long after. He’d started reading the book I’d recommended, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.

He also started making his bed!

Life’s essential daily habit, Matthew Kelly asserts, is prayer. Staying connected is important. God is our lifeline, isn’t he? He’s the power cord, the plug socket, the sim card…. right?

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7, NCV)

Prayer is not only about our requests, but also about our mindset. Setting our vision toward Him and His will helps us reset our perspective.

And resets who we might become. That’s eternal.

Encouraging, empowering, and entertaining. In Christ.

The Prayer Habit: Finding A Reason to Talk with God

Make your bed and say your prayers

The Habit | All Reflections | Best Lent Ever | Dynamic Catholic

Commerce Cloud Storefront Reference Architecture

Test Me, God

Who prays that? King David did.