Trying to establish a prayer life while busy? As a mom, a wife, and a friend, I both know and witness how hectic life can be. And especially since becoming a mom, I know how easy it is to be forgetful. The to-do list is longer than a yardstick. And even then, some important tasks and events are still forgotten.
Life can be so overwhelming and stressful. It is hard to prioritize prayer amid all the busyness. However, it doesn’t have to stay like this!
Besides being a Byzantine family, I am also an Oblate of St. Benedict. The Rule of St. Benedict offers some great wisdom on prayer, even while the full Divine Office might be beyond us. (Book + squirming baby who wants to rip the pages does not = happy prayer life). Particularly, the phrase “That God be glorified in all things” comes to mind. It inspires me to find ways to keep God at the centre of my whole day. What follows are my three top suggestions for any super busy person to add more prayer throughout the day.
Pray for the First Minute of Every Hour
Saying a little offering to God at the beginning of every hour (or half hour, or quarter hour) helps set the tone for each part of your day. All those minutes add up as well! I recommend setting up some kind of grandfather clock system where the sound reminds you to pray. Currently I am using a grandfather clock app on my phone. I think I’d like to look for a watch that will “chime” every hour, or perhaps see about investing in an actual grandfather clock. (I’ve seen one for about $50 on Amazon).
Pick a Devotion and set an Alarm for it
One Byzantine priest repeats this statement “Unless you pray at certain times, you will not be able to pray at all times.
Many different devotions are well suited to a busy life. Set an alarm for the time you want to pray a particular devotional prayer and use that alarm every day. One of the prayers I do this for is the Angelus. This alarm is turned off for Sundays though, since we are often still at church at this time and hey, Sundays are already entirely devoted to prayer and rest!
Other short prayers and devotions that work well with this include: a decade of the Rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet, a patron saint prayer, Heavenly King, or a prayer to your guardian angel. You could also set an alarm to work on a daily prayer journal.
It can be difficult to establish prayer routines. This is especially true for me, because I am not a routines-person. All routines are difficult for me to follow. But having the alarm go off that tells me “this is the best moment to pray this prayer” really helps me to follow to routine and pray certain prayers more consistently. If this can help me, I know it can help others!
Work and Prayer: Praying While Doing Chores
The song “Do Everything” by Steven Curtis Chapman comes to mind here. I sometimes like to have it playing in the background while I’m working around the house. The lyrics remind me to “do everything [I] do to the glory of the One who made [me].” God is with us and watching over us every moment of our lives. He calls us to carry out our vocations with love, to glorify Him.
When I am doing the dishes, re-shelving baby’s board books for the 5th time today, or am sitting on the floor holding my child as sings… I can glorify God. These actions are all a part of my vocation as a wife and mom. When my husband goes to work to provide for our family he is also glorifying God by following his vocation. Besides offering these moments up to praise God, it can be helpful add prayers to say, sing, or do while doing tasks. If you haven’t memorized any prayers, consider writing one down or printing one off. Put this prayer above your kitchen sink or somewhere you will see it often, and work on praying it as often as you can.
I can’t make suggestions for every possible job, but moments when you are waiting for a phone call, cleaning your workspace, might work for you. If you are in customer service, saying a quick prayer for each person you encounter can add God to your work. At home, this is easy to do while doing chores or other mundane tasks. I can sing a hymn or pray a psalm while doing dishes or the laundry. For more spontaneous prayer, I share my thoughts with God about how the day is going and what I am grateful for.
Having a Consistent Prayer Life While Busy
So what do you do when you are busy to make sure you get that prayer time in? What devotions do you like to pray daily? Add your thoughts in the comments section below!
The Byzantine Life
Thank you for reading about having a prayer life while busy! Check out our various social media accounts. On our Pinterest we have boards full of different saints, icons, and Byzantine ideas! Also, you can follow our Facebook to see our latest blog posts as they publish. The Badger Dad also runs our Twitter (@TheByzLife) and Instagram accounts (username: thebyzantinelife)!
Do you appreciate our work at TheByzantineLife.com? Consider joining us on Patreon for as little as $5 a month. In other words, you can help us run this website and produce quality content. And in return, you get exclusive access to special posts, photos, and updates from our family! As more people join, we will be adding bonus faith and family resources too. In short, click here to find out more: https://www.patreon.com/thebyzantinelife Have a good week! If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media to spread the word!
