The Rev. James Martin, S.J., leads listeners through an Examen on praying with the Gospel stories.

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., leads listeners through an Examen on suffering.

The Rev. James Martin, S.J., leads listeners through an Examen on praying with nature.

Our commitment to God is expressed through living out the gospel, but also in your fidelity to prayer. Day in and day out. “Showing up and shutting up,” as my friend likes to say about daily prayer.

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.

Many devout Christians end up, with the best intentions, overwhelmed by the great many things that they feel that they have to do in their daily prayer, as if prayer is just a “to do” list.