After this week's focus on interior prayer, Christy Isinger's devotional is a wonderful reminder of the kind of awareness that is fostered in the quiet of our hearts. Christy writes: "It's so hard for those of us living simple, ordinary lives where there is no dramatic miracle moment to recognize God working miracles in our lives. But that doesn't change the fact that He is. He is working miracles in our lives even if we don't see them, even if they take years to accomplish." God is indeed working miracles in our lives! Quieting our hearts can help us open our eyes to see His great works for us. Starting tomorrow, we will focus on prayer in practice, so today take a moment to think about how you can practice seeing miracles in your days. Comment below with your thoughts: Have your eyes been opened to miracles in your life? How can you foster awareness to see where God is working? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

We are over two weeks into building prayer intentionally into our days. Are you feeling refreshed as 2016 begins to build momentum? What can you do to foster your relationship with God to last all year? That's what I was thinking about while writing today's devotional -- being able to recognize what I need in my spiritual life to keep my soul whole and healthy. Sometimes, though, these can be basic material things! As Catholics, we honor the Incarnation by recognizing the unity of body and soul. Today, do something for your physical body in addition to your spiritual self. What can you make time for in your day? Eat food that nourishes your body Move in a way that feels invigorating -- walk, stretch, swim, or whatever feels right Rest or nap to recharge Spend time outdoors Comment below with your thoughts: How does your relationship with your body impact your relationship with your soul? How can you view every facet of yourself in harmony? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Going on a retreat can make such a difference, not only to our personal prayer life, but also in our family.

Today, Gina Fensterer of Someday Saints has shared a post featuring one of her favorite psalms. As we think about prayer in the quiet of our hearts, it can be helpful to think about how we pray when we don't have words of our own. Gina reminds us that the psalms and other memorized prayers can help us find the words to pray when we struggle to find them. Last summer, I shared a post as part of a blog project with Kristin from Vine of Plenty. One of my favorite Psalms is also one of my favorite prayers, which is very simple, but packs a punch. The verse comes from part of Psalm 86, and I memorized it long ago to use as a frequent daily prayer for my family. It's part of the night prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, which my husband and I have prayed almost nightly together since we were engaged (13+ years ago!) .The words are simple, poignant, and rich in meaning. I feel like I can pray these words and nearly cover all the bases for my own life, and my family's lives. Every night, I pray this verse for my husband and each of my children. I substitute their names for "me", adjust the pronouns, and instantly have a personal, individual prayer. Sometimes I also add improv prayers, with specifics I have on my heart. "Show me Lord, your way, so that I make walk in your truth. Guide my heart to fear your name." "Show T, Lord, your way, so she make walk in your truth. Guide her heart to fear your name. And Lord, please be with her in a special way as she learns to navigate life and friendships this year. Middle school can be a wonderful and difficult time. May she always be assured of your love for her, her beauty, her self-worth, and the love her Daddy and I have for her."   It is so awesome that in this short Psalm, I ask God for guidance in his way (which is Love), so that I can walk in his Truth (which is love and mercy, and also going to include his specific will for my life). It ends asking God to guide my heart (more about Love! The heart is always about Love.) to fear his name, to honor and respect, and to give glory to him. What else is there? See how easily you can make a prayer for each family member, or friend, or anyone? I hope you'll find inspiration in the verse, and print the art designed by Kristin to help you remember to pray for yourself and loved ones. Sometimes, I pray this when I am completely exasperated with a child who keeps making poor choices, and beg the Holy Spirit to guide my child in better choices when I feel lost. You can guess how often this verse comes in handy as a prayer for that! Click here for the pdf printable. Have a blessed week, my friends. Comment below with your thoughts: What prayers speak to your heart? Do you have a favorite psalm or memorized prayer? What words do you turn to when you don't have words of your own? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life. -Saint John Chrysostom Why do you pray? There are simple reasons. Prayer is calming, centering, refreshing. There are more complex reasons as well. Prayer builds your relationship with God -- spending time in mutual love and care. Prayer can reveal our inmost desires -- we begin to see what our prayer illuminates within us. Prayer helps us align our will with God's will -- beginning to better understand what He wants for our lives. Whether or not our reasons are clear, prayer is central as we grow in virtue. Comment below with your thoughts: Have you seen changes in yourself and your life through prayer? Are there virtues you are asking God to help you form? How do you center your life around prayer? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Quiet, peaceful prayer doesn’t just look the same for everyone. Like any other facet of our lives, each of us approach God in unique way. For some of us, silence and contemplation come naturally, but for others, calming the heart and mind for prayer is one of the greatest challenges of our prayer life. Today, seek out a way to find quiet and turn toward Heaven. Here are a few ideas: Pray the Rosary Sit with Jesus at Adoration Reflect on today’s reading and devotional Journal Spend a moment in a quiet church Light a candle and recenter within your physical surroundings Comment below with your thoughts: Share your favorite way to pray quietly. How do you cultivate internal peace? Are you comfortable with sitting in silence? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

As we grow together as a prayer community, we also will each grow individually as we create space within ourselves for quiet prayer. In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, “For me prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” This week, our prayer prompts will focus on cultivating the quiet space within our hearts that call out to God. Comment below with your thoughts: Where in your day do you seek quiet? How do you turn your heart toward Heaven in prayer? Who do you turn to as a model for forming the habit of recognizing God in your days? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Today we have a simple reminder for our week with today's psalm response, O bless the Lord, my soul. Psalm 140 The wallpaper was made by Erica of Be A Heart, which you can download for free for your tech devices below! You can also buy it in the shop as an 8x10 print here! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

Today, we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. In the devotional for this beautiful feast, Brigid Hogan (that’s me, actually!) wrote about being bathed in the glory of God. That awareness and acceptance of God’s presence in our lives is something we can reflect back out into the world. As we wrap up this week thinking about putting our prayer into action, maybe we can begin to view ourselves as prisms for the light of Christ. We take the rays of grace that shine into us, refract it, and shine a full rainbow of His glory out into our world. Each action and word in our day is an opportunity to reveal Christ to others. Comment below with your thoughts: How can you reveal the grace of God today? Who in your life needs to be bathed in light? Can you pray for them today? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

As Catholics, one of the best ways to take action in our prayer lives is to seek the sacraments. Colleen Mitchell wrote about making room for God in today’s devotional, and the challenges in front of us are real. Colleen writes, “Satan gets in my way. Sin gets in my way. But I get in my own way too.” The Sacramental Grace offered in the Eucharist and Reconciliation clears those roadblocks away. God is always reaching out with this radical healing to us. Reaching back through participation in the sacraments is a small act with great rewards. Comment below with your thoughts: Can you make room for God today by seeking out His Sacraments? If not, can you plan time to seek them soon? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Bobbi Rol of Revolution of Love is sharing her guide to setting up prayer table in the home. The simple action of creating a small sacred space within the home can help bring the whole family to prayer. When I was growing up and after our family had a reversion to the faith, my mom set up a little table in the house that was the family "prayer table." It held the family bible, a candle and seasonal decor, such as the baby Jesus during Christmas. I loved the idea and brought it into our own home once Brian and I were married. He both had a love of icons and found ourselves with quite the collection. We hung them up in various places in our house and created sacred spaces - spots that reminded us of the eternal and turned our minds to God. When we first got married and lived in a small apartment our space was a tiny broken down nightstand that we set up in the corner of the room. Once we moved into our current home, we used the kitchen table from our old apartment that was now too small for our family. We set it up in the entry way right next to our front door. Years ago I went to a book sale at our parish and I found the exact same family bible that my parents had. I was so excited to bring it into our home. My kids would grow up looking at the same beautiful religious artwork that I loved. We also have on the table our pregnant mama statue (given to me by a special friend) to represent all the pregnant mamas we are praying for, especially family members. We also have a photo of the little girl we sponsor in Mexico named Abi. She has become a sweet part of our family. Liturgical Prayer Space I love our entry way prayer table but it doesn't change during the year. Plus I wanted to have something in the family room since that is where we spend the bulk of our time, where we eat and say grace, where we gather to say our family night prayers, where we sit on the couch and spend time together. I thought this was the room that needed a little sacred space. I decided to use the top of an old cabinet a friend gave us. It wasn't fancy but it would do. We gathered a number of our icons and placed them on the wall. Here are some samples of how the top of the shelf changes through the liturgical season. LENT/ EASTER We set up the Stations of the Cross prints and a candle centerpiece using a long rectangular tray filled with six votive candles for the six weeks of Lent. Similar to an Advent wreath, we light one each week. We printed off Catholic Icing’s Lenten Calendar and I placed it in an inexpensive frame from Ikea. I use a dry erase pen to mark a cross on each day as it passes. It is great for the kids, who have no sense of time, to see how many more days until Easter. Lastly we added our Acts of Love Jar (with little acts we can do) and our Prayer Jar (with a daily intention) which we choose from each day. To keep track of the acts of love we do, we use Catholic All Year's idea of the Sacrifice Beans. FALL/ ALL SAINTS' DAY Each month we focus on a different prayer or invocation. In October we were teaching the kids the Guardian Angel prayer so we used Catholic All Year's super hero prayer printable. On the feast of All Saints' Day, I was inspired by Mary's post at Sometimes Martha Always Mary.com and I printed our the patron saints of our family from Happy Saints.com. (They have some really cute and inspirational products.) We have St. Joseph (Brian's patron), St. Anne (my patron and middle name), St. Rose (Bella's middle name), St. Andrew, St. John-Paul, St. Matthew, Our Lady of Lourdes (For Baby Victor whom we miscarried on her feast day) and St. Junipero Serra (For Baby Joseph who was also miscarried. We have a family devotion to our Carmel Mission saint.) In November we have a printable with the photos/ names of deceased family members and friends. ADVENT/ CHRISTMAS During Advent we have our Mysteries of the Rosary prints, "hay" for Baby Jesus's manger, the Advent Calendar (both explained here) and our Jesse Tree with Jesse Tree cards from Blessed Is She. Night Prayer/ Rosary Time A couple months ago on the feast of Our Lady's birthday we started praying night prayers and a decade of the rosary together. It is not always easy but we've been faithful to it and it has been beneficial to the family. It's encouraging to see the kids grab their rosaries and tell us that it's time to pray. It is heartening to hear them say their intentions, whether it is for a friend who was sad at school or for Kylo Ren to turn good. To help the kids stay focused, we light a candle and turn off the lights. It helps to set the mood and keeps the kids relatively quiet. (Unfortunately, there are still the arguments that a sibling is praying too slow or too fast or that a swinging rosary hit somebody in the head but... baby steps, right?) At least we no longer have arguments about who gets to pray first or who gets to blow out the candles. (Nothing like a yelling match to put you in a prayerful mood, eh?) We have a prayer leader of the day. They get to start off the intentions, the rosary and blow out the candle at the end. If we unavoidably miss an evening prayer time, we light two candles the next evening for the current leader and the boy who missed blowing out the candle the night before because that job is SUPREME. To also avoid the tangled rosaries in a basket, lost rosaries or the he-has-the-color-I-like fights, everyone keeps their rosary in one central location in our hallway by the door leading to the family room. The print of Our Lady was painted by one of my favorite artists Flor Larios. The numbered hooks I found at Marshals. I'll admit I bought it while shopping with my sister who was visiting last year. I had no idea what I'd use it for but I knew I'd find something...and viola! ;-) Prayer Spaces in Bedrooms In our bedroom, I also added a sacred space for Brian since he likes to say his prayers in there. In the kids' room, I didn't think it would be wise to have candles and statues since there are too many swinging light sabers. Instead I hung up two framed prints and a rosary. Setting Up Your Own Space Don't have a sacred space yet? Whether you are single, married or a mama of many, it's easy to make one. Just find a little spot in your home to make your little prayer area. It can be a mantle, a book shelf, a small table, a wall shelf or whatever you can create. Add a statue, crucifix, icon or a framed printable. Maybe a candle, flowers or seasonal decor. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you'd like. Put together your sacred space and share it with us. Hashtag #projectblessed and #familysacredspace. top photo by Little Flower Studios Bobbi Rol is a wife, a mama of four and a blogger learning to love God in the midst of dishes, laundry and swinging light sabers. You can find out more about her here. Comment below with your thoughts: Do you have a favorite place to pray? How do you foster prayer in your home? What images and environments are helping you come to prayer this month? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

This week, we continue to reflect on prayer in action, and every day in January, we are together taking action by finding time for prayer. Laurel Muff originally wrote this post for her blog, and while it focuses on making time for prayer as a mother, all of us can learn from Laurel's advice for finding quiet moments of prayer in our days. I tend to be a fan of structure. Not quite Type-A level, but I like when things are organized and when there is a plan. However, since having children, I have been learning the difficult {on occasion} lesson of being more flexible with my time and expectations. {This is not to say all has gone by the wayside. A certain structure to the day is essential (and necessary) with little people. Even if it is crashing down around you from one minute to the next.} As a single person, with only my own needs to attend to, I tended to be more strict with times for prayer scattered throughout my day. In an effort to not leave my relationship with Our Lord merely in the margins now as a married person with children, I still need intentional places and times of prayer in my day. But these often have to be more flexible, as my saying a Morning Offering upon rising is difficult when rising might happen several times throughout the wee hours of the morning. Here are five times in my day that connect me back to Our Creator and help me to continue to build my relationship with Him. 1) At meal times // We pray together as a family at each meal whoever is at home {or if we are out — awesome method of evangelization!}. It is also a great way to teach my daughters to be thankful for the gifts we are given. {Evelyn loves to say, “Thank you, Jesus…AMEN!”} We spend the time before dinner taking turns with intentions for those who have asked our prayers throughout the day. 2) While nursing the baby // I tend to have my cell phone with me while I nurse my little one. At least one nursing session is spent reading these daily devotions from Blessed is She. Through them, I am able to participate in the Church calendar by reading the readings of the day from Mass {going to daily Mass is just too much for us right now} and spending some time with a short meditation which accompanies and is based upon the readings. 3) In the car // I don’t know if it is just me or if drivers are becoming more hostile lately. I spend quite a bit of time praying for the people I encounter on the road who either must be having a bad day or need prayers for a change of heart in their attitude about the way the drive, endangering their life and the lives of others. 4) When I awake in the night // This is almost guaranteed with my little one still nursing through the night. I pray for my husband who is sleeping by my side, for his protection, and that God will be His strength the trials of the following day. 5) While putting the children to sleep // I love these quiet moments as they are drifting off to sleep to remember to pray for their little souls. I offer prayers of thanksgiving and petition for these sweet ones entrusted to my care that they may grow up to be good girls and that I may follow the Spirit’s prompting in how to guide them. [bctt tweet="Here are five ways to connect with our Creator throughout the day."] Comment below with your thoughts: When is your favorite time to pray? How to you make room in your day to seek the Lord? or, simply answer: Did you pray today? Want to join today's #BISSisterhood link-up? Share a post about what prayer looks like in action in your life. An InLinkz Link-up

Today, Elise Howe’s devotional gives us a very specific call to prayer: Sisters, will you join me in prayer? Let’s pray that our hearts would not be hardened to seeing God’s love for us, especially in the most unexpected of people and places. Let’s pray that fear would not rule our hearts or lives. Let’s pray that in choosing to love, we might be Christ on earth for one another. By praying to choose love, we begin to live out the incarnation -- being the physical hands, feet, eyes, and ears of Christ to the world. Jesus gathers all of us to Himself as His disciples and sends us out to the world with the joy of the gospel. Open hearts draw people into His divine love through our own human love. Pray to be this love to the world. Comment below with your thoughts: Can you open your heart today? Who can you serve in a Christ-like way? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Gina Fensterer of Someday Saints recently posted about how social media can be a powerful tool for prayer and evangelization. Think about how we can put prayer in action through social media. Social media can be a great tool for gathering a community in prayer. I know of no better way to quickly tap into the communion of saints on earth and dozens upon dozens of prayer warriors than by logging on and asking for friends to pray. We all know the dangers of social media. It sucks time, distracts us from work and family time, keeps us from connecting to the person next to us in line...and yet, great good can come from intentional use of social media. I'm reminded of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who used the media--a typewriter--to spread the Gospel. We have, quite literally, at our fingertips the greatest too, of our time. If it isn't smart phone or tablet, nearly every home has a computer. With a few quick taps, we can rally the prayers of friends and friends of friends quicker than we'd reach two people on the phone in a prayer chain. About 3 months ago, I was very nearly ready to ditch social media. Instead of completely signing off, I switched Instagram to "private" and decreased my time on Facebook. One reason I remain on Facebook is because of the incredible potential for rallying prayer warriors. Brilliant saints before us have recognized the good in media for evangelization (think St. Maximillian Kolbe and St. John Paul II)...and following their example, I'm not giving up on social media. Nope, I'm using my time and my posts intentionally, and one way I'm choosing to do so is in asking for prayers, and praying for my friends when they request them. I've seen the power of prayer. It is incredible. About a month ago, a friend in a women's group on Facebook shared the devastating and terrifying news of a life-threatening condition affecting her and her unborn child. Next week, she will deliver this child by c-section, and then undergo a lengthy surgery which will hopefully save her life, but the recovery will be long and hard. Without sharing all the details, imagine this: because of social media, she was able to share with many people at once. Immediately, the other women in this group started posting to our personal FB pages, asking for prayers. And then suddenly there were hundreds of people lifting up a prayer for a mom in need. This past week, another friend of mine found herself facing a parent's worst nightmare. Again, within minutes, we had hundreds of people sharing, asking for prayers to surround her and her family. In *minutes*, the communion of saints calls upon our God to be present, to heal, to comfort, to rejoice. It is beautiful. Comment below with your thoughts: How can you use social media to reach out in prayer this week? Where do you look online for encouragement and inspiration? Can we change our online communities into places of blessing for others? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

This week, our prayer prompts will focus on prayer in action. We have a great example in the spirituality of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as shared by Elizabeth Foss today. Mother Seton, a convert, widow, and mother, knew hardship but did all things with grace and cheer. As our own Elizabeth writes, “[Cheerfulness] isn’t a forced smile through gritted teeth. Instead, it’s the prayerful plea for the ability to reflect God’s own joy in the image of the Creator that is you.” In this Year of Mercy, we are called to live our faith in action and prayer together -- bringing tenderness and openness to the world. [bctt tweet="What simple tasks can you imbue with the joy of Christ today? // day 4 of #projectblessed"] Comment below with your thoughts: What simple tasks can you imbue with the joy of Christ today? How can you reflect God in your actions? Or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

Our first wallpaper of the new year and happy Epiphany! Today's download was made by Erica of Be A Heart from the first reading, Isaiah 60:5 "Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb & overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you" Our King was born and our hearts throb and overflow. Let us find our radiance in him. You can also get this in a for print version in our shop! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper  

Today, we celebrate the Epiphany, and this week, we will reflect on Prayer in Action as a community. As Kathryn Whitaker writes today, what better way to celebrate the gifts of the Magi than to use our own gifts as a blessing to others? Kathryn’s words of advice are pertinent every day as we serve God and each other: “Instead of complaining, begging and wishing our gifts away, let’s give God the very best of us. Our words of thanks for the gifts He bestows upon us is never enough. Instead, use your gifts. Use them for His glory. His purpose. His will.” Comment below with your thoughts: We offer this month of prayer together as a community. What gift can you lay before the Christ Child this month in your prayer? Or, simply answer: Did you pray today?