My brother-in-law Chuck prays the rosary in his car, counting off his Hail Marys and decades on the spokes of his steering wheel.
My Pastor, Fr. Ron, visits with God over an early morning cup of coffee.
Another friend has told me that her favorite time to pray is in the morning during the soothing relaxation of her shower.
I and others often wake during the night, start "looping" over various anxieties, and turn to God in prayer in the dark and silence.
Although we each have "special times" of the day for prayer, St. Paul tells us to "Pray unceasingly." How can we do this? Since we each have an individual relationship with God, our prayer lives, our ways of coming into His Presence, are equally individual - and as unique as our own daily lives.
Sometimes we might get tempted to think that we could be so much holier if we led different lives, had different jobs, did greater things for God. But that's not true. To be holy is to do the normal, simple duties of our everyday lives as faithfully as we can, and to do everything for the love of God. And to train ourselves to think of God as often as we can each day, by casting a glance in His direction and saying a quick prayer in the midst of our busyness.
One simple, holy man who believed in living in the Presence of God was, for most of his life, a cook. When young, he fought as a soldier, but was wounded, and captured. When he was released, he tried living in solitude, but decided that wasn't for him. Next he was a gentleman's valet. That wasn't a good fit. So he decided to become a monk - and was put to work in the kitchen as a cook and a sandal maker.
As a kitchen cook, he didn't often have the opportunity to join in the great hours of prayer of the other monks. So he read a number of spirituality books - which totally confused him. Out of sheer need, and deep insight, he decided to do these things: to love God above all else, and to nurture his love for God by consciously trying to stay in His Presence, thinking about God and praying as often as possible as he worked in the kitchen.
When the monks talked about dismissing him from the order, and he was filled with pain, he learned to trust God even more deeply, resigning himself to trust in God's will, that God would do what was best for him.
This simple kitchen cook, Brother Lawrence, wrote "Walk with God in simple faith, with humility and with love, and try diligently to do nothing and think nothing that would displease Him. Make it your goal to persevere simply and solely in His Presence, maintaining habitual, silent, and secret conversation of your soul with God. And trust that when you have done all you can do, He will do what is best for you."
He also wrote "There is no great art or science to living in the Presence of God. You need only a heart determined to apply itself to no one or no thing but God. Many of us fail to make progress because we mistake a multitude of penances or a regimen of devotions for the one thing that is important, the love of God."
Brother Lawernce teaches us to put aside everything that would take us away from God and goodness, to ask God for His help, especially when we are in doubt, to do well what He wants of us, to dedicate our deeds to Him before we do them, and to give thanks to Him when we are done. Simple words, but a lifestyle that requires great devotion and perseverance. Yet the reward is the great joy and peace of growing ever more united with our God Who is Love and Peace and Joy.
Today, you can read the little cook's teachings in a book called "Practicing the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence, a spiritual work which has endured in great popularity since the 1600's!