Do you want to have a richer prayer life, but don’t know where to start?
It can be really difficult to form good habits when it comes to prayer. We have so many things competing for our attention and so many distractions that get in the way of true connection with our Lord.
Maybe you do a holy hour every day or once a week, but you leave feeling as though you did not truly offer your full attention to God during that time- and that is totally normal. We are human, and our prayer life is not going to be perfect. However, there are things we can do to get better, and that’s what we want to help you with.
One great way to improve your holy hour is by taking up spiritual reading. It is extremely helpful when sitting down to pray to have structure and something specific to meditate on as you approach our Lord in prayer.
Some of our favorite holy hour suggestions include:
The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva
This is one of the most impactful reads Scepter has to offer. Journey with the founder of Opus Dei as he imparts practical truths for daily life, nuggets of spiritual wisdom, and insightful prompts for your time in prayer. One reviewer wrote “no nonsense, direct wisdom for any moment.” if you are looking for simple but powerful phrases to meditate on in your holy hour, the way is the book for you.
Fr. Jacques Philippe’s Nine Days Retreat Series
In each of the Nine Days Retreat Series, author Jacques Philip offers encouragement for anyone hoping to deepen their love for prayer. The series includes the titles Nine Days to Recover the Joy of Prayer, Nine Days to Welcome Peace, and Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith. These books offer wisdom and hope for Catholics in search of a more meaningful relationship with Jesus. One reviewer wrote, “Fr. Jacques’ Nine Days Retreat Series is a wonderful addition to your spiritual library. His insights and meditations have helped me recover the importance of interior peace and prayer time with our Lord especially in these current and uncertain times.”
We hope that you consider adding these texts into your spiritual reading plans in 2024. If you are just starting out on a prayer routine, we encourage you to remain steadfast and keep trying, even when it’s difficult. As Josemaria says in The Way, “To reform. Every day a little. This has to be your constant task if you really want to become a saint.”
