Pray, Pray, Pray Chris Selmys Originally published in Issue II of Vulgata,  November, 2001.

We must pray much more than we do. Prayer sustains our spirit in much the same way that food sustains our body. If we do not eat for some time we grow weaker then sick and at last we perish utterly. Now the most common way of gaining  sustenance and nutrition among Christians is to every day eat three meals, one at the beginning of the day, one in the middle and one at the end. Snacks are often interspersed throughout the day at various intervals in addition to  this. This is almost universally practiced and has proven to be quite  effective. Unfortunately, several exotic and altogether ineffective diets are  in quite common usage with these same people regarding prayer. There is for example the binge method, which results in a bloated, sickly, useless spirit that never wants to pray again. There is the perpetual fast, where neglect of prayer brings a slow starvation. These and their like must be avoided at all costs. Here is something that I have found very helpful. In the same way that certain things remind us to eat we must endeavor find things that will cue us to turn towards God. I have found it easiest to first choose several things that we notice automatically turning up frequently in our lives and attach a small prayer to each of them. The goal is to eventually make it an automatic reaction: this happens, I remember this prayer. Make them as short as possible but increase their number whenever you can. When you awaken, make the sign of the cross. When you dress, put on the full armour of God. Before you eat, say grace. When you hear a siren, pray for those in danger. When you see a baby,  ask God to spare the life of the nearest unborn child in danger of abortion. If someone curses, bless them. When you buy your food, remember those who are hungry, they need your prayers. Apply the same thing to your temptations: if you are tempted to greed, pray for the destitute. If to lust, prostitutes. If gluttony, the hungry and the dying. Discover which are your most common  temptations. Follow them through to their logical conclusions. Find something that horrifies you which is a result of the sin which you are tempted to  commit and pray for those afflicted with it whenever you think of it. Remember every friend you have who does not love Jesus. Find a patron Saint for each of them and pray with them for each friends salvation each night before you  sleep. Finally, pray to the Holy Spirit for better ideas than these, more  fitting to your particular situation and then pray, pray, pray.