Too Busy to Pray?

Our Lady is calling us to a greater quality and quantity of prayer. I have been encouraging you to spend more time in silence and solitude with Jesus in prayer. So what do you think people give as the number one reason for not spending time in prayer? They are too busy. We all think we are too busy… CCC 2742 We have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing. Evagrius (cf. 1 Thess. 5:17)  I do not believe we lack time for prayer because we lack love for God. I think the real culprit is that we have been addicted to the routines of our life and these just need to be broken to create new routines and habits.  Luke 5:12-16 Jesus was not too busy to pray  While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and besought him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And he stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one; but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” But so much the more the report went abroad concerning him; and great multitudes gathered to hear and to be healed of their infirmities. But he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed. Jesus had the power to heal any disease – people flooded him with requests – healing people of horrible diseases is important stuff – Jesus was really busy with all these sick people – but He was not too busy to pray. In the face of all this need – he withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.  Jesus spent time in deep friendship, relationship with His Father in prayer because he built the habit, the routine of prayer.  Mark 1:35 In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Peter and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, 'Everybody is looking for you'. Matthew 14, After Jesus fed the 5000 with the multiplication of the loaves, Directly after this he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, Luke 22:39 After the Last Supper, Jesus left to make his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, to pray. Notice, Scripture points out, Jesus went to pray, as usual, as was his custom, this was his habit or routine.  Jesus had a deep friendship with His Father because he had the habit, the routine of prayer. Beginning and ending each day in prayer was his way of life. We will not reach deep friendship with God in prayer until we establish the habit, the routine of prayer – it’s all about our routines.  I know you want a deeper friendship with God, and you know friendship takes time. Yet you probably find yourself almost powerless to make the change. What’s the problem, are you just weak? Do you have no will power? Will-power just means the ability to form routines. The routines we form consciously or unconsciously we can carry out. These routines over time become so powerful they become addictions. There is an old saying, make good habits and become slaves of them. We become slaves to all habits, good or bad. The sub-conscious is powerful. The subconscious is simply habits we have formed into routines of thinking and living. We have built routines in our lives and those routines are so powerful they make us addicts. If we want to make some change, then we must make a break in our ritual, in our routine. We just need to make one change in our daily ritual to change our routine and begin to form new habits to spend more time in friendship with God in prayer. What daily rituals prevent you from spending more time in prayer? What can you do to break one of those rituals and begin anew?