{"product":{"product_id":"1937913023","title":"Uplifting Thoughts for Every Day: Minute Meditations for Every Day Containing a Scripture, Reading, a Reflection, and a Prayer","price":"9.95","image_url":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sf+Yt5kfL._SL500_.jpg","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937913023"},"comments":[{"body":"I have a few tips, which you can take as a whole, in part, or not at all. These are based on things that I've done or am doing, which have worked for me. \r\n\r\nOne, build a habit. It's like eating healthy or going to the gym; when you don't feel like it or when you don't think you have time, that's when it's most important. Having a particular time of day helps a lot with this. To help with this, I prayed the rosary along with a CD while I drove to work every day (and sometimes on the drive home as well). It wasn't the only praying I did each day, but it sort of primed the pump and put me in a prayerful mindset. If you aren't into the rosary, there are other prayers you could do or religious songs, anything to get you in the habit of praying every day (but something that can safely be done while driving if you decide to do it then). \r\n\r\nTwo, reading can be a good avenue for improving your prayer. Of course, reading scripture is key, but there are other things as well. I really like this little book called [Uplifting Thoughts for Every Day](https://www.amazon.com/Uplifting-Thoughts-Every-John-Catoir/dp/1937913023) which has a short scripture passage, a related meditation, and a prayer for each day of the year. Reading from something like this could be the start of a good prayer session, and there are many similar books (and even email newsletters!) with slightly different emphasis. \r\n\r\nThree, even if you are from a tradition that emphasizes spontaneous prayer, I strongly suggest that you don't ignore the many beautiful and moving pre-written prayers. They can be a great way to start or end a prayer session, with other time devoted to more personal, specific prayer. The pre-written prayer can be as simple as the Jesus Prayer (\"Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.\") or even just \"Come, Holy Spirit\" (a shortened form of a longer prayer). \r\n\r\nStructure. For some people, structure is vital, and it can be very helpful when building a habit. For my rosary, things were obviously very structured, but for my other prayers, I put less emphasis on structure. I stop what I am doing, bow my head and say a short prayer to myself, whether standing or sitting. Sometimes I pray quietly while walking (many Catholic Churches have areas dedicated to this activity with mosaics or statues telling stories from the Bible and the lives of the saints as you go along). If it helps you, good, and reverence is important, but don't think that it doesn't count unless you are facing a certain way and positioning your body a certain way.\r\n\r\nCurrently, I am reading a book called Armchair Mystic ( [Amazon link](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GRATEY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;btkr=1) and [B\u0026amp;N link](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/armchair-mystic-mark-e-thibodeaux/1110785492/2692858323240?st=PLA\u0026amp;sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Catch-All,+Low_00000000\u0026amp;2sid=Google_\u0026amp;sourceId=PLGoP79700\u0026amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwiurXBRAnEiwAk2GFZpJZLWwkiqv0SQZCOyT_So5XOfZh6M3swZDrvRDVp7AMS_hIellG-BoCSdcQAvD_BwE) ) which introduces the reader to contemplative prayer. It's very interesting and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make changes in how they pray (even if you don't adopt any of the practices he recommends, it is a great text about what prayer is and what it can be. \r\n\r\nIf you are interested in building your leadership, there are a lot of devotionals and materials focused on fathers and husbands, which are both ways that most men are called to be leaders. \r\n\r\n***\r\n\r\nLet me know if this is helpful, or if there's anything in there you'd like me to elaborate on or clear up. ","subreddit_name":"Christianity","author":"NeandertalSkull"}]}