Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
James Martin, S.J.August 19, 2019
Saint Francis in Prayer by Caravaggio, 1602-1604 (Wikimedia Commons)

Subscribe to “The Examen” for free on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe to “The Examen” for free on Google Play

Join our Patreon Community

This week we’ll look at what happens when our prayer becomes too routine. Frequently people who are experienced in prayer find that they tend to get in a rut. For example, let’s say that every morning you pray with the Daily Gospel reading. Now, I’m choosing that example because it’s something I do myself, and I think it’s a great practice. But if you’ve done that for months or even for years, it can start to feel a little stale. Then it becomes less something you look forward to and more of a burden.

There’s nothing wrong with setting a particular practice aside for a time and trying something else. Maybe you could pray with the psalms. Or maybe take a book of spiritual reflections and let that invite you into prayer. Or maybe you could just sit quietly in God’s presence.

These situations are the same as with any relationship. For example, if all you ever did with a friend was see a movie every Friday night, week in and week out, month in and month out, things might start to feel a little stale, even cold. And anyone would tell you, “Just try to do something different.” It doesn’t mean that you’re any less devoted to your friend, just that you need to shake things up a bit. It’s sometimes the same with prayer.

So if things seem a bit routine, shake things up. Just don’t leave out the Daily Examen!

[Don’t miss any of the latest writings, podcasts and videos from Father Martin. Sign up for his newsletter.]

More: Prayer
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Michael Bindner
5 years 6 months ago

If feeling abandoned, pray angry. God can take it.

The latest from america

His clinical condition is “complex,” the Vatican said.
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 17, 2025
The pope also extended his greetings to the thousands of artists who had come to celebrate their Jubilee in Rome this weekend.
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 16, 2025
Votive candles, including some bearing a photo of Pope Francis, are seen on the base of a statue of St. John Paul II outside Rome's Gemelli hospital Feb. 15, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)
To facilitate his recovery, doctors have prescribed that he observe “total rest,” the Vatican press office announced.
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 15, 2025
Pope Francis greets Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian member of the U.S.-based Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, at the Vatican Dec. 3, 2015 (CNS photo/Vatican Media via Reuters).
The announcement came as Francis was in his bed in the Gemelli Hospital being treated for an infection of the respiratory tract. A Vatican spokesman said "the Holy Father passed a good night and slept well.”
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 15, 2025