Finding Prayer/Life Balance
“ … we think everything is lost, and that the time spent in God’s presence is wasted. Meanwhile, the soul is perhaps entirely united to Him in the innermost mansions” (St. Teresa of Ávila).
Whenever our work life undergoes a drastic change in routine, it can end up affecting our prayer time. It may end up being delayed, rescheduled, or forgotten. Consequently, when we expect our prayer time to be focused, peaceful, or perfect, we open ourselves to the risk of forfeiting time with God.
Just as our work life is never steady, neither is our prayer life. We can discipline ourselves for years in maintaining a balanced prayer schedule, but once it becomes interrupted, do we excuse it from our hectic schedule?
The problem lies in how we view prayer. We may only see prayer as a traditional obligation, a comfort, or last-minute desperation. These are offensive dispositions, but we should also understand prayer to be a defense.
Observing Prayer as a Restless Defense
If we have 20 minutes left at the end of a tiring day—only 20 minutes left for ourselves to unwind—we may choose a fun distraction instead of prayer. If we repeat this behavior the next day, we will continue to delay our time to seek God. We know that we can talk to God at any moment, but we also know that prayer takes effort. With such an effort, we must understand that there is a battle to be fought.
Prayer is a spiritual battle. We are fighting against distraction and laziness, as well as Satan’s army, tempting us every step of the way. If our mind isn’t at peace, he may tempt us to reschedule our prayer time—to “stand up” God. I don’t know how many times I have pushed aside prayer even though I had enough time for it. I was distracted by an upcoming deadline and thought it would be a waste of time to pray the Rosary if I was not fully meditating on the mysteries.
Imperfection Is Precious Before God
The beautiful thing about prayer is that it doesn’t always have to be perfect—or even planned, like our busy work schedules. We are mere humans; even if we try to perfect prayer, something distracting can always enter our thoughts. God knows our imperfection, and he is available for us, regardless of what chaotic state we are in. Fighting to pray in such times makes us that much more precious to him.
God is with us through any storm and at any time of day. Although we may feel too distracted in prayer, and attempting it may feel forced, we are starting out with the intention to make time for God. Our love for him is everything. Our commitment to prayer, however imperfect, will be rewarded. As long as we are trying our best, God knows. If you lose focus for 90% of a rosary, your soul is still 100% praying. Through it all, you are holding onto powerful blessed beads that will keep Satan at bay and bring you closer to Heaven.
Here are some tips for prioritizing prayer in a busy schedule:
Remember St. Teresa of Ávila’s quote (included at the top of this article) as a reminder to avoid delaying prayer when you don’t feel you can properly meditate on God.
If available, find another prayer warrior or accountability partner to pray with during work or break hours.
Occasionally look to meal breaks as a chance to fast and pray rather than eat and socialize.
Before work, pray the prayer of St. Joseph the Worker to request more fervor in staying close to God through busy work hours.
Berthe Emmanuella Antoine is an interior designer who sees no distinction between her work life and devotion to God. She fine tunes others on how to create beautiful habitations in Christ from their domestic surroundings to the innermost parts of their being. Her rule of life has led her to launch INTERIOREM VITAM, a Catholic decor blog and boutique with a sleek and classic aesthetic. She is forever whisked away into the intricacies of hidden devotions and the silence of the interior life. She hopes to build a fruitful community around the brand’s mobile app. Feel free to join and start a conversation with your comments.