PRAYER and SPIRITUAL LIFE
For the lifelong Christian, prayer is too often felt as a task or a responsibility. Sometimes it is fulfilled with great effort or even discouragement. On the other hand, when a person is "surprised by grace," he might find that his first real experiences of prayer are without effort and seem to be, themselves, gits of divine grace.
When we have difficulty praying, we need to recall that this is not uncommon, that holy people such as Mother Teresa often had to struggle and work to pray. Prayer is the lifeblood of the spiritual life. Whether it comes to us easily or only after much struggle, it is absolutely necessary for the soul. Without prayer, there can be no real spiritual life.
We must also recognize that prayer comes in many forms. Someone may say regretfully, "I cannot pray at all." But this is not entirely true, for those very words are at least the beginning of prayer, and as he utters them, that person is praying. He has "lifted his heart and soul to God."
(by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., in Praying Constantly: Bringing Your Faith to Life)
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