How to Pray Always

By Raoul Plus

Book Overview

Christ urges us to pray without ceasing, but when we try to do so, many of us simply cease without praying. We're distracted by troubles or duty or we quit just because it's late already and we're tired.

Fr. Raoul Plus's no-nonsense prayer manual, How to Pray Always, remedies these problems by dispelling the false notions of prayer we all have and showing how we can, in fact, pray without ceasing - even at times when exhaustion cripples us and cares threaten to sweep us away.

Drawing on the experience of dozens of saints, Fr. Plus explains sure ways we can recollect ourselves before prayer so that once we begin to pray, our prayers will be richer and more productive; he teaches us how to practice interior silence habitually, even in the rush and noise of the world; and he explains each of the kinds of prayer and shows when we should - and should not - employ each.

As humans, our minds are limited and it's generally hard for us to pay attention to more than a few things at once. That's why most of us aren't able to think of God or pray while we fulfill any but the most mindless of our daily duties.

No problem.

For such busy occasions (which constitute most of the time for most of us), Fr. Plus explains how we can pray without words by keeping our wills united to God even when our minds must be directed elsewhere.

In other words, How to Pray Always is one of those rare books that actually fulfills the promise of its title. It helps us become better Christians by showing us how to know, to love, and to serve God, and to live prayerfully and constantly in His loving presence.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1928832687
• ISBN13: 9781928832683
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

How to Pray Always

This is an excellent book for one who is trying to learn to pray in the "worldly" existence we live in.

Refreshing

If you want to reenergize your prayer life, this is an excellent book to read and meditate on. It will certainly breath life into personal devotions if read seriously.

Just what the title says

Fr. Plus's goal is to provide guidance and inspiration for lay people who which to take seriously the biblical admonition to "pray without ceasing" (I Thess 5:17). The message of this book can be summarized in three principles: 1. It is psychologically impossible to focus on God (or any other idea) continually, without interruption, throughout our day. 2. It is more important that our will be aligned with God's, that we do all we can do for His glory, than it is to think directly about God. 3. It is very beneficial to think of God as often as possible throughout the day. The rest of the book unpacks these principles and attempts to provide guidance in their application. The book starts with the very encouraging observation that, except for cases of direct supernatural intervention by God (as seen in the life of St. Theresa of Avila), no one case "pray without ceasing" if the only meaning of "prayer" is to consciously be directing thoughts to God. Our human nature is not made up in such a way that we can concentrate on a single topic without break. Additionally, even if we could, we would not be able to function in life in such a state. The many demands of our duties could not be performed. Fr. Plus then observes that it is much better to have our will in alignment with God's will then to have our thoughts consciously directed to God. If we are doing whatever we are doing with the goal to please God, we are offering it up as a prayer even if we can not think directly of God while we are acting. We are consciously doing what He wishes us to do, and that is prayer. My first thought in this was relief: Hey, if we can't focus directly on God 100% of the time, then we don't need to worry that much about prayer. But Fr. Plus makes it very clear that doing everything we do in life to please God is no small task. It calls for a complete renunciation of our own will. There is much more to write but, ironically, duty calls. I strongly recommend this book.

The Secret of the Rosary

This is a wonderful book about the power of the rosary, and many stories about conversions that have happened because of it. This book should be read by anyone who wants to know more about the rosary, and how to use it properly. I strongly recommend this book to anyone, you will not be sorry you bought it!