A Time For Prayer

In my previous post I mentioned that I notice God's presence while I'm praying. I know that he is listening whenever I am talking to Him. It is always very comforting. I love knowing that wherever I am, I can pray because God is everywhere! You can pray to Him in your car, while shopping, in bed, at work, while out on a hike, ANYWHERE! That's what's so, so amazing. Where do you like to pray?

For me, I enjoy praying while I'm alone and when it's quiet because it allows me to just talk with God and be with Him. My favorite place to pray is at a chapel because that's God's home, but when I'm out living life, I prefer to pray while I'm doing something that doesn't involve much thinking. This allows me to do what I'm doing with God. I used to pray right before I go to bed, but I find that that's not the best option for me because I normally get sidetracked with other thoughts or I fall asleep, so I started praying while doing other things. My family recently got a treadmill, and instead of listening to my iPod or watching TV while working out, I pray. It's very nice. I also used to pray while walking from my apartment to my class every morning. It's was always very quiet and peaceful at 8 or 9 in the morning, and it allowed me to be with God. These are just a few examples of when I like to pray. Sometimes I'll just stop what I'm doing and pray for a minute for a special intention.

This leads me to asking, how do you pray? My favorite way of praying is just talking with God and being with Him. I thank God for what he has blessed me with and I ask Him for things that my family, friends, and other people that I know need. I also enjoy reading specific prayers written to God, Mary, and other saints, but sometimes I don't feel a deep connection with God whenever I'm reading something. At times I do (it depends on the prayer) but many times I don't. Like I said, I prefer just talking with God while I pray.

Do you have a favorite prayer? If I had to pick one, I'd pick the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity 
to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can;
and  the wisdom to know the difference.

It's so pretty, and I  totally need it right now at this point in my life.

Have a wonderful day.

God Bless,
Emily

God's Presence In My Life

There are many ways in which you can sense God's presence in your life. Praying, reading the Bible,  singing or listening to Christian music, attending mass, being with others, and walking through nature are just a few examples. I have realized God's presence in my own life in two ways:

1) Praying--I have become a big prayer these past few months or so. I find myself praying for 10 or 15 minutes at least twice a day. I feel guilty whenever I don't pray at least once because it's my time to be alone with Jesus. Through prayer, I can sense God listening to me and I know He is there. He answers all prayers, just not always in the way we want Him to. Sometimes we may ask for something, but He doesn't give it to us because He either has something better in store for us or we aren't ready for it quite yet.

2) Thinking about my future-I just graduated from college this past Saturday. One door has closed and another door (or two or three) have opened. I'm beginning a new chapter of my life. As I have been getting closer and closer to graduation these past few months, I have been thinking about my future and where I will be. It's confusing and a frightening time, but it's also a very exciting time as well. I don't know what my future holds, but I know that God has a plan for me. He has something very special in store for me that I just don't know about quite yet. I'm definitely very eager to discover what my future holds and to find out what God wants for me.

These are the two ways in which I have noticed God in my life. What are ways in which you have sensed His presence?