Today and tomorrow, Bobbi Rol of Revolution of Love is sharing posts about how she bookends her day with prayer. Today -- morning prayer and what it looks like for her as a wife and mother. As I mentioned previously, I was thinking about how I have been dissatisfied with my morning routines lately. I was reading Chaos to Calm: Week 1 over at Her Southern Charm Blog. I could relate to Jennifer's words and clicked onto the Bible study she was reading over at A Virtuous Woman.org. I read about Melissa Ringstaff, a preacher's wife, and was was intrigued by her study. Originally I was going to skip it because Melissa is not Catholic and she wouldn’t be able to offer advice from a Catholic perspective. However, while she does not discuss Jesus in the Eucharist or asking Our Lady for prayer, she does make some beautiful yet practical points about being a virtuous Christ-like woman and they were truly speaking to my heart. So I continued with the study and just added my own Catholic materials to supplement. Here are a few points that really hit home during Week 1. Point 1: The Need to Start Our Day with Prayer This has always been a struggle for me. I'm a night owl and stay up too late, then the next morning I say a quick Morning Offering and rush around tired, grumpy and out of sorts. Melissa writes: As women striving to seek out God’s will for our own lives, is so important that we wake in the morning and humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to give us the strength we need to get through the day. So, this week’s challenge is having a morning prayer and devotion. I do believe that the morning is the best time of the day to get yourself in order. Just as our homes need organizing and maintaining, our hearts need order and maintenance as well. Grr. I know she is right but I hate doing it. However, that night I forced myself to go to bed earlier and set my alarm for ½ an hour earlier, rising at 6 AM. As Murphy’s Law would have it, Matthew woke up crying and needed to be soothed back asleep, “wasting” my early rising. Instead of throwing in the towel, I quickly showered and dressed so I’d still have 10-15 minutes for prayer. The next day I repeated the same thing. And then again. I still don’t like getting up early but I am hoping that if I do it long enough my body will get used to it. (It’s like Daylight Savings Time, it sucks and I swear under my breath whenever it rolls around but eventually I get used to it and once I do, it’s nice having that extra hour of sunlight.) Melissa also made an interesting correlation between our morning prayer time and the Israelites’ manna in the desert. She says: Morning is the best time for getting to know God. This principle was deeply impressed upon the children of Israel by His daily gift of manna. The angel food cake rained down from heaven early in the morning, six days a week, for 40 years. If one waited too long to gather it, the manna would evaporate in the heat of the sun. “And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.” Exodus 16:21. Likewise, if we wait too long for our spiritual devotions, the cares and pressures of the day will get our attention before the Lord does. The busier we are and the more we have to do, the more we need to take time to pray. Let’s not allow the manna to melt. An excellent point. So I’ll keep trying to gather up my “manna” in the morning. Point 2: Having A Cheerful Disposition I knew this one was going to be a tough one for me because I'm usually pretty happy, sometimes really happy and cheerful and full of hugs and kisses but I can far too easily get ticked off into a“don’t talk to me right now cuz I’m mad at the world” kind of mood. Granted, I am more happy than mad, but Melissa certainly hits the nail on the head when she says: Women have the power to change the atmosphere in their homes. I am sure you have heard the saying, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” If you wake up each morning feeling ill, unpleasant, expecting the worst, dreading your chores, irritated with your husband, or tired of training your children, you set yourself up (as well as your husband and children) for a bad day. Ouch. That is so true it hurts. Too often I let my emotions run me. If something goes wrong or things aren’t going just as I want them I get upset and impatient with everyone around me. Melissa advises: Ask God for wisdom in dealing with your everyday circumstances. And choose to be happy. Do not allow other people, uncontrollable events, or lack of material possessions influence your choice to be happy in the Lord. Have you ever seen a child who was terminally ill? Or a person who was unable to care themselves, who in all their pain and suffering still had joy in their hearts? You can be like that too. Whether you wish the laundry would go away or the bathrooms would clean themselves or your children would stop bickering you can still be happy. It is a blessing to have clothing for your family. It is a blessing to have a home with indoor plumbing. It is a blessing to have children. Stop looking at them like they are a curse! Choose to be happy! I like that phrase – you can choose to be happy. It reminds me of marriage itself. Once the honeymoon is over and all the warm feelings are replaced with reality, the marriage can slip away unless you choose to love and to make it work despite the difficulties. It takes effort to keep the "honeymoon" alive. My vocation as a wife and mother is the path God has chosen for me to work out my salvation. Of course it is not going to be all daisies and sunshine. There is a lot of “manure” (trying to keep this PG) that has to be dealt with but from the occasional stench comes a beautiful garden. And the more I learn to stop being so selfish and self-centered, the more I can see my blessings. Dirty laundry = warm clothes to wear. Dirty dishes = we had food to eat. A messy house to clean = a roof over our head. Rambunctious kids = healthy kids with lots of hugs and kisses to share. Beds to make = Loved ones sleeping in their beds and not in the hospital or worse. It’s all in the attitude and how you look at things. I must admit that while I am mostly cheerful, when I am upset I hate acting cheerful. I feel like a fake Pollyanna. How am I supposed to be cheerful then? Well, I am also learning the difference between fake cheerfulness and cheerful peace. Today was a good example. The kids were extra wild and everything was going wrong at once and normally I would have lost my head and yelled at them all in exasperation. Instead I just kept repeating, “Give me strength, Lord. Give me strength, Lord, cuz I’m going to lose it!” With a few deep breaths and Our Lord pouring out his grace upon my heart and I got through the crisis in relative calm. I wasn't skipping around and singing like Julie Andrews but I felt a peace inside. And when one of the kids did something funny I genuinely laughed and enjoyed it rather than being too upset to enjoy the moment. (In fact, I think I instagramed it. ;-)) The circumstances hadn’t changed, it was still chaotic but I was able to work through it, by God’s grace, and be at peace with the fact that life with kids is not always um…peaceful. There will be chaos. However, from that chaos, I can find calm – in how I handle it and by working on some of the elements that add to the chaos. If my hope and trust is in the Lord, then there is certainly a natural joy that comes from the grace of God in my life. It is not fake. If God is the source, it doesn’t get more genuine than that. Later that day I stepped back and thought, "Hey, this prayer thing really works! I can see God’s hand helping me." And then again I thought, “And how many times has God already taught me this lesson?? Am I that hard headed that he has to keep reteaching me??” Obviously, yes. Point 3: With Joy Comes Peace. This lesson was echoed the following day when I read this section: Today I want you to think about peace. What does peace mean to you? It is so important to have peace in your home. If your husband comes home each evening to peace, he will look forward to coming home. If your children live in a peaceful environment, they will grow up to care for the feelings and needs of others rather than be anxious and unsure of themselves. How do we attain perfect peace? The Bible says we will have peace from God if our thoughts dwell on the things of God. Our hearts will be transformed. This is why having your morning devotion is so important! It sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you begin your day consumed by the Word of God, your heart will have been recharged or nourished by the bread of life. Your emotions will not be running on an empty tank. Again, morning prayer. I am seeing more and more how important it is. If I am unable to go to Mass, I am trying to make sure I do a spiritual communion instead. The rosary (even just a decade) is also a great source of peace and strength. But what about the days when we fail and peace and cheerfulness are thrown out the window? Melissa says: If you already feel like your heart reserves have been running on low for quite some time – you need to fall on your knees before the Lord and pour out your heart to Him. Let the tears flow! Cry out to Him – out loud! He is there for you, always waiting for you. It is okay to tell him you feel lousy and that you know you messed everything up and that you are desperate for His help. ASK him for that perfect peace. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we want or expect. Sometimes we have so much hurt and sorrow that we don’t know what to do. Those are the times we most need our God. Turn to Him in your pain and sorrow, He is faithful to help you and you will learn much about HIM as well as yourself. I would also add the importance of frequent confession, at least once a month. We need the grace of confession. In humbling ourselves before God we are the ones that receive the blessings of grace, healing, comfort and strength. For me, I can physically feel when my confessional graces are running low and I need to spiritually recharge. I have a set day (the 2nd Saturday of the month) and I mark it on the family calendar and don't change it unless absolutely necessary, in which case, I go the following week so I won't let the weeks slip away. I think that brings me to my favorite point so far. Point 4 – God’s Mercy Gives Us A Fresh Start. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."” Lamentations 3:22-23 We receive new mercies every morning. I love that image of starting new. It does not mater how bad we messed up the day before or in the past, God is always willing to give his prodigal daughter a second chance. Little by little, day by day, he forms us and molds us into daughters of the King. Blessed be God! photo credit Comment below with your thoughts: Have you explored morning prayer in your day? If so, what does it look like for you? If not, how can you begin to integrate it into your day? or, simply answer: Did you pray today?

It's the second Sunday of Ordinary Time. We have a few weeks to find the extraordinary in the ordinary before we hit Lent. (Did you order your Lenten workbook yet? It starts in 24 days and we are almost sold out!) We have a beautiful wallpaper made by Lauren of Lauren Michele Art. This week let's contemplate the gospel - Mary tells us to do what her Son tells us. What is He telling you to do? What is He calling you to do? "Do whatever He tells you," John 25 You can download them for your tech devices below! Phone wallpaper Desktop wallpaper

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?