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Posted by Arwen Mosher in Faith on Thursday, July 21, 2011 9:35 PM
Whenever I’m in a stressful period (like having newborn twins, hey!) I need to pray. And sadly, all that stress makes it harder than usual to find time to pray.
I often end up feeling stressed or like a failure because I haven’t fit prayer into my day, but it honestly never occurred to me that there’s a simple way I can help myself get the time: ask for it.
Melanie Bettinelli, who blogs at The Wine Dark Sea, wrote an incredibly insightful piece that got me nodding my head like crazy - and facing the problem of prayer time with new conviction.
Prayer is nourishment, she points out, and God tells us to ask him for our daily bread, so asking for prayer time makes perfect sense.
“Instead of making time or finding time, I can just ask for it. He is the Lord of time. If he wants me to pray, he can find the opportunities. He can make it happen. I just need to turn my day over to him.”
Of course my own will is still involved. Turning my day over to him is a key part of the solution. But it had honestly not occurred to me that opportunity is important too, and that God has the ability to give those opportunities to me. I’m excited to try it.
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I don’t know if you’re breastfeeding your twins, but I always tried to get a little prayer time in when I’m nursing my baby. It’s nice because I’m forced to sit and relax a little and while the baby feeds, I can talk to God a bit or maybe say a decade of the Rosary.
p.s. my verification word is “ask85”! 
Isn’t it terrible, Arwen - I’d NEVER thought to ask for time to pray until you posted it. I’m forever beating myself up for “not making time to pray” or “not trying hard enough”. When will I realize that I can rely on His Grace for things?
Like AnneR, I use the time I am nursing to pray. Veronica’s at the stage where we have to be somewhere without any distractions…for either of us. So I use the time to say my daily decade of the Rosary (for the Society of the Living Rosary) and any novenas I am praying. I am in the middle of the one that starts on the Annunciation, and it’s bringing so many blessings. Thank you for introducing me to it a couple of years ago!
Please keep us posted on this endeavour. xoxo
Though we think of the Angelus morning noon and evening or other family prayersWe can do that while we are travelling, or working The excuse that one does not get time to pray seems to be incredible, apart from that we have time to converse with God….anytime anywhere.
Love this simple and true thought - exactly what I needed to hear this morning. I rolled out of bed early and immediately began rushing around the house, putting in laundry, getting breakfast ready before anyone else woke up. And in the middle of stuffing towels in the dryer, I thought, “I haven’t even prayed yet this morning!” immediately followed by “But I’m too busy right now!” 
And then I remembered that Martin Luther of all people used to say that he had so much to do today that he needed to spend 3 hours in prayer. A pretty good reminder that there is always time enough if I can remember it is God’s time.
This is so timely because I was just bemoaning the other day the fact that since my kids have been home for summer, I haven’t been in my usual pattern of prayer. I miss it and frankly think I have been a bit more grumpy. Beginning in Lent and continuing for the rest of the school year, I was stopping by the chapel at our parish and spending 30-60 minutes with the Lord about 2-3 times per week. It got me through a very dark time spiritually.
School starts in 3 weeks and though I am homeschooling one child part time (3 days per week), I am looking forward to visiting the chapel the other two days.
Did I just say that school starts in 3 weeks? Eeek! How did that happen? Summer just started.
I say short prayers throughout the day. Maybe it’s, “Dear Lord, let me walk with safety and confidence across the icy street.” That prayer hasn’t happened lately. At night, I say prayer of thankfulness for another day in this wonderful world and continued blessings of health, safety, prosperity, and wellness for my family.” I find I sleep better, get there quicker, and feel less stress during my days.
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