Battling Dryness in Prayer

Рет қаралды 78,023

Күн бұрын

Last week Fr. Mike Schmitz talked about why prayer is so hard in his Battle of Prayer video, and this week he talks about what to do when you experience dryness in prayer.
He says being distracted or discouraged in prayer is like losing control of a car on ice. When dryness or distraction in prayer occurs, don’t overcompensate. Gently bring yourself back to focus.
St. Theresa of Avila would always bring a book with her into prayer so she had some kind of springboard to converse with God. If this doesn’t help and dryness persists, then you persist. God may be calling you to a deeper relationship with him in these tough moments. There are some things God can only do when we come to him when we least want to. If you feel like God just isn’t giving you anything when you pray, it’s an opportunity to just spend time with the giver while expecting nothing in return.
More resources on prayer:
How to Pray Like Mary
Oremus: A Guide to Catholic Prayer
Pocket Guide to the Rosary
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina
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Пікірлер: 430

@xanderjansen4539 4 жыл бұрын

I was born and raised atheist, I am the only one in my family to become a Christian, I will be baptized on the day of the Lord's baptism, January twelfth 2020. When I told my parents, they were angry but I persisted. This is what I want and no one will tell me otherwise. At the moments when I clash with my parents, I say a prayer for their souls and it's hard to persist, but at these moments the prayer is so beautiful and heartwarming. Knowing God is there for us, whenever we need Him most. Never give up, trust in the Lord, know that Jesus loves us more than we can ever imagine

@joedwyer3297 4 жыл бұрын

Good on you mate!

@gerard1867 4 жыл бұрын

Welcome home Xander

@julienielsen3746 4 жыл бұрын

God Bless you. I'm praying for you and your family.

@josephmirelez7651 4 жыл бұрын

Be there for them and evangelize them! Prayer and humility! Praying for you brother God bless!

@sandstorm1317 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing!! Keep pushing forward!God is with you

@GinnyandEric 4 жыл бұрын

“Be gentle with yourself and bring your focus back to the Lord.” 🙌🏼

@karenkupczyk7425 4 жыл бұрын

Being gentle with ourselves is very difficult for many people to do. We sometimes trend toward a darker version of ourselves. "Be kind to your self", a great song out there today. We have a gentle healer, we have a loving God, what else do we need? Thanks Father Mike for helping us in our journey and helping to guide our path to Jesus; Saviour of the World,

@GuadalupePicasso 4 жыл бұрын

Ginny and Eric I’ve regularly prayed for God to be patient with me, and for God to grant me patience with others for awhile now. I’ve only recently started praying for the grace for me to be patient with myself. “Recently” as in barely a week ago.

@GinnyandEric 4 жыл бұрын

Joseph Muir that’s beautiful and something we all need to try and do. It is so hard to be patient with ourselves!Thanks for sharing 😃

@lordmartin7727 4 жыл бұрын

Everyone, please know that fr Mike is talking about "praying". 🤝🤝🤝

@mug5455 4 жыл бұрын

When you struggle with something and then Fr. Mike be like, "here's a vid" 😂😂 Thank you Lord for Fr. Mike Schmitz!!

@kristiansagia5637 4 жыл бұрын

The rosary has been my guide in the valley of Darkness

@mariakathleen17 4 жыл бұрын

Me too, today, more than any other day, I was super happy to have the priviledge to pray the Rosary :)

@israelcarranza7732 4 жыл бұрын

Praying for you all who read this. Never forget God sees you with perfection and his love is eternal for you 🙏

@caryulmer7063 4 жыл бұрын

Israel Carranza Thank you! Praying for you too, bless you.

@annmariebartholomew2591 4 жыл бұрын

5:09 this really spoke to me, made me realise that it’s okay to not feel like praying, but if even though with those feelings, you still pray, that would mean even more

@delrheacastelino4788 4 жыл бұрын

Wow same R u an army by any chance Just curious

@lynnslynetteclay92 4 жыл бұрын

I just keep praying even if it doesn’t make any sense. Just keep praying!

@KK-oj2kq 4 жыл бұрын

From a protestant i love your videos

@27sports90 4 жыл бұрын

K K same

@PRWWJD 4 жыл бұрын

From a catholic, praise God 🙌🏼

@weden3199 4 жыл бұрын

K K From a Catholic, you are welcome to come home. Why in a raft when God made a ship, “The Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

@KK-oj2kq 4 жыл бұрын

@@weden3199 my parents say catholicism is false but i am getting drawn too it

@jeremiahong248 4 жыл бұрын

@@KK-oj2kq Jesus, has set up a Church headed by Peter as the rock of the Church to teach others what Jesus has taught and given divine backing to the Catholic Church that Satan will not over come it in Matt 16 :18 I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Jesus appointed His disciples to be His representatives on Earth by investing divine authority unto them when He breathed the Holy Spirit into them in John 20:20 Jesus gave the keys of His Kingdom to Peter and the authority to act on His behalf- to.bind and loosen in Matt 16 : 16 -19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. "The keys" are abilities to open and explain the Gospel truths, and a mission and commission from Christ to make use of them; and being said to be given to Peter particularly, denotes his after qualifications, commission, work, and usefulness in opening the door of faith, or preaching the Gospel first to the Jews, ( Acts 2:1-47 ) and then to the Gentiles, ( Acts 10:1-48 ) ( Acts 15:7 Acts 15:14) and who was the first that made use of the keys of evangelical knowledge with respect to both, after he, with the rest of the apostles, had received an enlarged commission to preach the Gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. There are 32000 denominations each proclaiming to be the one true Church. The only way is to look back to see what Jesus taught and what the Apostles and early Church believed. They all.hold Catholic beliefs like the true presence of the Eucharist etc. The Apostles were also given the authority to bind and loose and the authority to retain / forgive sins in John 20:21 - 23 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you!As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Jesus promised to be with the Catholic Church till the end of time and the mandate to proclaim the Good News in Matt 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Thus the Apostles have divine authority to represent Jesus on Earth and knew the correct interpretations of what Jesus taught. That is why they wrote the New Testament under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles passed on these teachings to the Early Church Fathers and their disciples. The teachings and doctrines of the Catholic Church after 2000 years is the same as what Jesus taught and what the Apostles upheld. All of the present Catholic clergy can trace their ordination back to the Apostles. These are the biblical basis of the Catholic Church. All other 32000 denominations/churches are founded by men without any divine authority and are not found in the bible. I hope one day, you shall cross the Tiber River.🙏

@haventwyford1674 4 жыл бұрын

hearing you say “bruh!” made my night!

@plshaq2009 4 жыл бұрын

Haven Twyford I was like... did he just say, “Bruh!”? 😂😂😂

@christiskingforever2880 4 жыл бұрын

When my mind wonders during prayer, it is usually do to worry presenting itself. I then pray to God about what is on my mind. I give it to God. I see it like my mind bringing things that need prayer to the meeting. It's doesn't have to be a big deal.

@Izumi-sp6fp 4 жыл бұрын

I am newly reconciled with the Catholic church having been away since 1977 at age 17. I reconciled on 15 June of this year. The best thing I have learned in my restoration is to pray the rosary every single day now. I have this little booklet my dad (currently age 93) gave to me along with my rosary I'm using now. the booklet not only has a brief meditation of each mystery, but also ten intentions related to each mystery of a given day. I pray the intention, and pray "Lord hear my prayer", then I seal it with the "Hail Mary". But what I pray at the beginning of my rosary, as a sort of introduction is this. I sort of evolved this over a period of months. I sit in my chair and I consciously clear my mind to make a buffer between my day and my communion with God. After making the sign of the cross, I pray; "Have mercy on me, o father, a mortal and a sinner. Holy Spirit fill me, let not my words be babble from my lips, but let them be sincere from my heart. And make a bulwark, a fortress, a force FIELD about me that will keep out random thoughts and snares of the devil. Then I pray my dedications and always include the souls in purgatory and my guardian angel. I have found that yes, I do experience dryness and a feeling of shallowness or insincerity, not to mention that often I am praying with my lips but thinking about something else. I have to really catch myself and perhaps pray a "booster shot" of my bulwark invocation. I also yawn and cough and carry on. But I have managed to pray the rosary in this manner every single day since June 2019. I have always managed to muscle my way through. And at the end of my rosary, I have experienced nearly every single time a reluctance to break my communion with God. I sing a little hymn from my childhood and when I finish it, I say--ok, now it is time to return to my day again. Father Mike, you might be interested to know that my dad sent me a clipping from a newspaper, perhaps a catholic newspaper that said "How to make a good Confession". I saw your picture at the top of the column and your name. This would have been several years back, perhaps as early as 2012. My dad wrote on the article, "say the sign of cross and read this article". He wearied heaven to get me back to the Mother Church. And he was ultimately successful. When I first came across your videos on KZfaq, I almost fell over. I told my dad that this is the guy that wrote that article you sent to me! And he realized it then too. I am late, but I am not TOO late. Because of the life I have lived previously, I suspect the best I can hope for is purgatory, but I will joyfully accept that to know I am one of the holy elect. If you read this please pray for me and my dad. He is a truly devoted Catholic and has been all of the life that I have known him. Most people are like me--we tend to find our faith rather late in life. Not him. He was always the way he was. And I thank God for that now. I did not always get along with him. But we ourselves truly and with great love, reconciled about 4 years ago.

@marykatedrewsen1027 4 жыл бұрын

I was raised Novis Ordo Catholic, and we switched to Traditional (FSSP) when I was 16, when we moved to an area that actually had it. My parents are faithful and have done their best with each of me and my siblings. For convenience’s sake, I lived with my grandparents for a little under a year, and was emotionally/mentally/verbally abused by them. They’re Sedevacantist, which didn’t make things easy for me, as I am in communion with Rome, and they are extreme narcissists. I was able to move out, but I was still under age, and I was sexually assaulted. It was a hard year. Lots of trauma. Honestly, all that kept me praying and kept me going was a personal devotion to the Blessed Mother. I knew she’d never failed me, and she still never has. I was neglecting prayer a lot, battling severe depression and other psychological issues that come with these things, but she still never let me go. She held my hand the whole way, because that was my sincerest and most frequent prayer. She helped, and I spoke to my pastor, Father Gordon about quite a bit of it as well. It’s important to be able to get this stuff out. I went through a couple of online relationships, which I acknowledge was terrible judgement on my part, but I learned a lot. And I learned to let go of relationships for a while too. She’s still on my side, because she’s led me to the best man I’ve ever known besides my father, and I’m gonna marry him next year. Funny the things that happen when we enter into the right mindset, and when you trust God and Mother Mary’s counsel and judgement.

@genloke98 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Fr Mike, for this encouraging video. You have no idea how much help it offers to someone who is becoming seriously discouraged in spiritual life. God bless you in your efforts. God bless your parents who brought you up so well. Thanks again.

@v-veritas 3 жыл бұрын

God bless you, Fr Mike, God bless you!

@Jorge_Magallon 4 жыл бұрын

I remember the first time I went through an extended period of this. It was very confusing. My prayer life life had been full of so many “consolations”. Then for no apparent reason to me, “Wham”! Nothing but drudgery. I remember saying to my pastor and good friend ‘I want a more exciting prayer life.’ Then my dad died soon after. Well, my prayer life sure was more interesting for quite some time. Moreover, the strength and many obvious mercies God gave me to tAke the lead in my family during that time was beautiful and quite a witness to those I love most. All glory to God. I’ve gone through dryness spells many times and I still struggle in prayer when that happens. But now I know and feel in my bones God always listens and with his Grace I will again find joy in prayer at some point, even if I have to wait until heaven, God willing. Pax.

@alisongiunti5859 4 жыл бұрын

Our Lord speaking to Saint Gemma Galgani: "My child [Jesus said to her], thou complainest because I will to keep thee in the dark; but remember that after darkness comes light, and then thou shalt have light indeed. I put thee to this test for My greater glory, to give joy to the Angels, for thy greater gain and also for example to others. If thou dost really love Me, thou oughtest to love Me even in the midst of darkness. I delight in and play with souls. I thus play through love. Be not afflicted if I begin to abandon thee. Do not think it chastisement. It is truly My own Will in order to detach thee from creatures and unite thee to Myself. Though it seems to thee that I repel thee, know that instead I draw thee more closely to Myself. When I appear to be far away then I am near at hand. Take courage, for after the battle comes peace. Fidelity and love must be thy necessary weapons. For the present, therefore, be patient if I leave thee alone. Suffer, be resigned and be consoled. I am leading thee by rough and sorrowful ways, and when I treat thee thus and when by a daily and hidden martyrdom I allow thy soul to be tried and purified. Think only for the present how thou art to practice great virtue. Make haste in the ways of divine love, humble thyself, and rest assured that if I keep thee on the Cross, I love thee...... "

@fathertime2020 4 жыл бұрын

Why does Jesus speak OLD English?

@zelie1155 4 жыл бұрын

This is so beautiful and speaks to my heart. Thank you:)

@taylordve 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alison, thanks Fr Mike, thank God ... (& thanks KZfaq)

@LostArchivist 4 жыл бұрын

Bottom line is keep walking and remember God is both Mercy and Love themselves and Wisdom and Goodness themselves. He can never make mistakes and He wants only what is the very best for you. Bottom line, trust Him and keep walking no matter what rises against you. God bless you dear reader.

@calistasmith94 4 жыл бұрын

In those dry times, sometimes I just sing in my head my favorite hymn or gospel song. Or find one to listen to.

@danielfortier2629 4 жыл бұрын

This video is so encouraging! I always feel guilty when my mind wanders. I feel like I am betraying God. Because of the guilt I usually restart the prayer I was saying when my mind wandered, and I try to focus even harder. I'm so glad you made this video, Father Mike! I hope to feel less guilty in the future thanks to you.

@Memetchi95 4 жыл бұрын

Same feeling, mate 😞 I realized that it's just my scrupulosity that makes me feel guilty, but I'm ok even when my mind wanders. Quite the opposite fact: if I try to focus even harder on my prayer just to get rid of the sense of guilt, those thoughts that I'm trying to turn away just start coming out again and again. Instead I like thinking that God listens also to my distracting thoughts, waiting patiently for the time I go back to Him. I believe that there are moments in which prayer is a real hard battle, but, as fr. Mike said, sometimes it does count more just the fact of being faithful to my time with the Lord. Forgive my poor English

@deborahbernadette4987 4 жыл бұрын

Especially in the dryness, I always pray to the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and to lift up my prayers for me. I'll also ask my Guardian Angel to pray for me and with me. Sometimes, it's almost instantaneous that I will feel prayerful again. Other times, nothing changes. But I know that just allowing the Holy Spirit into my heart, my prayers have been heard.

@catherinetingwei6353 4 жыл бұрын

Wow thanks for sharing your tips!! Haha I always forget about my guardian angel. God bless you :)

@deborahbernadette4987 4 жыл бұрын

@@catherinetingwei6353 I pray it will help you as much as it did for me. I think it was St Padre Pio who asked us to lean into our Guardian Angels. If you are sincere, they will gladly and with haste lift your prayers up to God for you. Have a blessed weekend, God bless you too🙏🏻

@jeremiahong248 4 жыл бұрын

@@bonganimasango2584 It is entirely wrong and Protestant propaganda that heretics think Catholics really worship Mary and employ in a game of words. Catholics honour Mother Mary because 1. She is the Mother of Jesus, our Lord and deserves our respect. 2. Her role in our salvation is foretold in Genesis 3:15 when God told the Devil And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." She is the only human being whom God has chosen for His plan to save the fallen human race. 3. As Jesus is the King of Kings, Mother Mary is the Queen Mother. Just as Bathsheba interceded for the king's subjects in 1 Kings 2:19 When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat down at his right hand. Mother Mary Mary intercedes for all of us. Reference the Wedding at CanaJohn 2 : 1 to 12 when Christ performed His first miracle, even though He initially said it wasnt His time yet. Mother Mary didn't tell Jesus what to do but directs the servants to Jesus, just as she directs us now to Jesus. The focus and glory is always in Jesus. 4. God killed Uzzah in 2 Sam 6:6 to 7 for touching the Ark of the Old Covenant : When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. Despite doing a good deed by stabilising a falling Ark, Uzzah was deemed unworthy and to have defile the Ark. The Ark of the old Covenant carried the Word of God in stone. Mother Mary carried the Word of God in flesh. She is thus sinless as she had to carried the Living Word of God in her womb for 9 months. Uzzah was struck dead by a mere touch. What's more 9 months of pregnancy? Thus we honour Mother Mary for carrying the Living Word of God. The sacredness and holiness of the Old Ark was evident by Uzzah's slaying, what's more the New Ark which is carrying Jesus. 5. Jesus the King of Kings bestowed Queenship on His mother Rev 12 :1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This woman is Mary because she is in heaven where God is. The only human being God will allow Queenship in heaven is Jesus's mother - the Queen Mother of the King of Kings. This woman is not the Church as some Protestants claim because in subsequent verses.Rev 12 : 2 to 5 this woman gave birth to a son which will rule all nations and whom the devil wanted to harm but couldn't. The only human that can stand up to the devil is Jesus. REV 12 : 2 to 5 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne 6. We honour Mother Mary because we are grateful to her for saying Yes to God, when she was still an unmarried woman but had to bear Jesus, thereby being instrumental in the human race's salvation. 7. We honour Mother Mary because she was obedient to God and is our model of ideal discipleship. She didn't ask for God's detail operation plan, what's going to happen to her when she is found pregnant in old conservative Jewish society, how to answer to Joseph when he found out she is pregnant before their marriage, how is Mary going to live on financially if Joseph divorce her, what role is her son going to undertake etc. Nothing. No details needed. No assurances needed. Just a simple yes to God. And God is pleased with faithful disciples just as He is pleased with Abraham for his faithfulness. For these reasons, Mother Mary deserves our honour - just as how the Early Church honours her for 1500 years till the Reformation. The Orthodox Christians who broke away from the Catholic Church honours Mother Mary. Martin Luther, the Father of the Protestant Reformation loves Mother Mary, honours her and prays the rosary. The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart. (Sermon, September 1, 1522). [She is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ. ..She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough. Still honor and praise must be given to her in such a way as to injure neither Christ nor the Scriptures. (Sermon, Christmas, 1531). No woman is like you. You are more than Eve or Sarah, blessed above all nobility, wisdom, and sanctity. (Sermon, Feast of the Visitation. 1537). One should honor Mary as she herself wished and as she expressed it in the Magnificat. She praised God for his deeds. How then can we praise her? The true honor of Mary is the honor of God, the praise of God's grace.. .Mary is nothing for the sake of herself, but for the sake of Christ...Mary does not wish that we come to her, but through her to God. (Explanation of the Magnificat, 1521). Luther goes even further, and gives the Blessed Virgin the exalted position of "Spiritual Mother" for Christians, much the same as in Catholic piety: It is the consolation and the superabundant goodness of God, that man is able to exult in such a treasure. Mary is his true Mother, Christ is his brother. God is his father. (Sermon. Christmas, 1522) Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of all of us even though it was Christ alone who reposed on her knees...If he is ours, we ought to be in his situation; there where he is, we ought also to be and all that he has ought to be ours, and his mother is also our mother. (Sermon, Christmas, 1529). Catholics honour Mother Mary but we also believed that Christ is still the only mediator with God. Christ and Christ alone.

@express2008 4 жыл бұрын

Was just about to search after this on internet. I see that you, father, read my mind!

@gerald214 4 жыл бұрын

@@bonganimasango2584 The rosary is completely scriptural. LUKE 1:28 (The angel gabriel said upon meeting Mary, "hail mary full of grace, the Lord is with you".) "Worship" is the wrong term to use when we pray to our Virgin Mary. We "PRAY" to the virgin Mary to help us get closer to God himself. When we pray the rosary, we are praying to Mary to give us the grace to help us know God more than we did the day before. Virgin Mary is the mother of God, so it is only right that we honor her. But at the end of the day, all Christians including Catholics worship the same God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Catholics only worship Christ, the true Savior of human kind. To sum it all up, Catholics pray to Mary for grace to know more about our LOVING GOD, but we ONLY WORSHIP GOD (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). God bless you.

@aljunb6403 4 жыл бұрын

Samee!💗

@maryhoover7860 4 жыл бұрын

Bongani Masango I am Catholic but I do not worship Mary. Our statues are like pictures of loved ones. I pray a prayer from scripture that says Jesus intercedes for us and I also ask Mary, the saints and angels to intercede for me but Jesus is always first. I’ve met some of most devout, loving and caring Christians in my Catholic Church. I also went away for awhile and then came back to the Catholic Church.

@maryhoover7860 4 жыл бұрын

@ Bongani, we reverence God. No one asked your opinions of Catholics. Father Mike asked us to share when we have a dryness with praying and what we did and what happened. Just prayer for us. @Father Mike. I didn’t give up on my praying and the presence of the Lord showed up again. I never thought of dry praying being powerful and I thank you for that.

@maryhoover7860 4 жыл бұрын

I really don’t pray the rosary. I’m not the traditional Catholic I guess. I like to pray to God. Thank you for your concern and pray for me.

@kstepko 4 жыл бұрын

After a close friend of mine died, I found it very difficult to pray anymore. I didn’t feel as though it was my place to question why my friend had died, and I needed God more than ever, but didn’t know what to say if not that. I felt as though there was now a distance between us. My pastor advised me to resume talking with God again as a way of healing that relationship. I started out the same way that you might if you were living with a person whom you’d argued with: at meals, I would make an effort to at the very least say, “thank you for this meal” and before bed, I would make a point of at least saying “goodnight: see you in the morning”. Pretty soon, I had overcome the awkward silence and things began to return to the way that they used to be.

@angelaandria1 4 жыл бұрын

" we are learning to love the giver not just the gift "

@purpleguy4695 4 жыл бұрын

I like how this preacher sits down with the camera and not just shows what he is preaching

@jerrytuler1536 4 жыл бұрын

PURPLE GUY thats Fr Mike for ya👌

@Shaun1977 4 жыл бұрын

You are A Good man Father Mike always have interesting subjects to talk about, such a good speaker. Praying for you All the Best from the UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🔥❤🙏

@nyakanyasko 4 жыл бұрын

Someone told me that each time you bring yourself back into prayer from a distraction it's an act of love. So if your mind wanders 1,000 times in an hour of prayer and you bring it back 1,000 times then you've made 1,000 acts of love to God. That helps me not feel so bad about distractions and dryness...

@tMatt5M 4 жыл бұрын

Keep it simple and pray the rosary. It's simple and specific.

@Steve-qr2lm 4 жыл бұрын

tMatt I don’t want 80% of my prayer to be to Mary though?

@tMatt5M 4 жыл бұрын

@@Steve-qr2lm When we pray to Mary it's also to Jesus. Because she is praying for us to Jesus. The motto goes "to Jesus through Mary"

@Steve-qr2lm 4 жыл бұрын

@@tMatt5M The Bible tells us to pray directly to God and Jesus, why do I need to do it through Mary? It's not biblically supported,

@tMatt5M 4 жыл бұрын

@@Steve-qr2lm Because Mary is our mother and she loves us. She helps us get closer to Jesus.

@Steve-qr2lm 4 жыл бұрын

tMatt sorry but I respectfully disagree, your use of “mother”’ for Mary is like the use of “father” for God, and Mary is not God.

@etienne-victordepasquale668 4 жыл бұрын

"Love the giver, not the gift"; "mercenary heart" ... very helpful tools, Father Mike. Thank you.

@milyvento5537 3 жыл бұрын

Ty Father Mike . I do struggle at times. I feel guilty about it . I force myself on these days to kneel & give thanks , even when I don’t feel like doing so . I’m so very blessed & grateful for all Jesus has done for me . Even if distracted during prayer I continue. I ask my guardian angel to help me . I read in scripture that tears are prayers also . I cry during my prayers & I ask for his strength , courage & guidance to help me . 🙏🏻💜

@gwenm7418 2 жыл бұрын

I don't know if I would exactly call it dryness in prayer but there was a very dark time in my life, approximately 2 years where struggled with severe scrupulosity and I prayed and prayed like crazy. For anyone who's struggling out there I am at a place of wonderful peace now and I finally learned to deal with scruples. My spiritual director told me a long time ago to use what I know to help others and I'm praying to God to know how to do that. I have all the tools under my belt now that I need to deal Anxiety and scrupleosity. God brought me through that darkness and intense fear and anxiety to a place of complete trust in Him.Blessed be God.Never give up on prayer.God will bring you out of the darkness..persevere and trust in Him. And of course Our Lady and Saint Joseph...St Therese Is my confirmation saint..she's wonderful💖

@cehson 8 ай бұрын

I is trully a battle, and i know it is necessary. Thank you Father Mike for this words of encouragment, they are golden! Keep battling, never give, no matter how low you get, no matter how unworthy you feel. It is bigger that feelings, it's giving to God, our most dear Father what we owe him. All glory to God!

@moscatellofamily6622 4 жыл бұрын

It's difficult not to get frustrated with myself for being distracted during prayer, so I start praying for God to forgive me and help me focus. Of course, I want this instantaneously, but I know if I'm patient God always comes through and settles my thoughts in time. Same for waiting on God's answer to my prayers. It would be to my great liking if God would just take care of all my petitions right away (cosmic vending machine), but that would often mean interference in the free will of others, which is most definitely selfish on my part. Patience can be hard when it comes to prayer - both during and after. God bless you Father Mike.

@cheryljenkins4096 Жыл бұрын

Oh Father, I needed to hear this desperately!!! Thank you. God bless!!! I pray for you every day!!!

@zereacristosnew6634 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Seconds before I opened this video I was thinking GOD hates me that is why this is happening to me. I am in dryness season for the last 8 years and for the last 3 it got even harder I use to tell myself "it's OK the LORD did not promised me heaven on earth" but sometimes it's so hard in a way I can't explain.

@nidzacrespo9533 4 жыл бұрын

Well said!! Thank you 🙏🏻 God bless you always Father Mike 🙏🏻❤️🇵🇷

@alexrcanez 4 жыл бұрын

I spent the night my daughter was born in a horrendous battle. I was not able to pray and many fears cornered me. I held on to the Lord of Mercy, Our Lady of Guadalupe and my wife and daughter being at the hospital as the little one came into this world. As of today, she is sick and God holds my hand while walking through this valley of shadow. We pray for all of you. Thank you.

@Franciscan2006 4 жыл бұрын

Yes!! I get upset with myself when my mind wonders during prayer. Thank you Father Mike for making this video and many others you have brought forth. These videos have helped me continue to strengthen my relationship with Jesus and the Blessed Mother.

@karend6491 4 жыл бұрын

By the grace of God I now know scheduled prayer time is essentially for my spiritual and mental health. Having now gone through many dry or dark periods he's made it very clear if I do preserve in prayer that's when he's really working on me. It's like surgery, recovery and in the end, a healing. Now I anticipate thet amazing unimaginable work God will reveal to me at the end of the dry dark road. There's ALWAYS something good!

@charliec2627 4 жыл бұрын

Amen! Thank you Father for all the videos, always looking forward to your videos/podcasts!

@maryjofernandez2475 8 ай бұрын

Thank you, Fr Mike. Even when I feel that my prayer is dry, I still keep it going. I do feel guilty and know that I should have done better, but after hearing what you had to say, I will continue to praise HIM. God bless you for guiding us ✨🙏✝️✨

@roccofoti2126 4 жыл бұрын

Just what I needed to hear... Thank you Fr. Mike.

@petergarcia8225 4 жыл бұрын

The feeling of dryness is natural feelings. The choices that are given to us.Wanting to be there is the best gift we can offer..

@limepiper3650 4 жыл бұрын

Father I don't know if you read this but if you do please pray for me.

@julienielsen3746 4 жыл бұрын

I'm praying for you.

@LittleLouieLagazza 4 жыл бұрын

I'm praying for you in the Far East, lime piper.

@PRWWJD 4 жыл бұрын

Prayers your way

@limepiper3650 4 жыл бұрын

@@PRWWJD Thank you, God bless you.

@limepiper3650 4 жыл бұрын

@@LittleLouieLagazza Thank you, God bless you.

@GoinDownhill361 2 ай бұрын

Last week, while in confession, I told the priest that since my mother passed away I feel my prayers don't go anywhere. I pray every day, but I feel deep in my heart that I'm doing it to no avail. That God's not willing to listen to my cry. He told me not to worry much, and brought on the example of St. Therese of Kolkatta, who experienced a terrible dryness in her soul on her last years and even so she never quit praying. He also encouraged me to keep praying, especially to the Holy Spirit. Today has been a very crappy day, and I don't feel up to praying, but I'll do it regardless. I just hope this desert pilgrimage of more than 6 years ends up sooner than later.

@Tony_Kidvaski 4 жыл бұрын

I have also suffered with this. Making prayer meaningful. Stopping myself from day dreaming. Stopping my prayer from becoming a chant that is a habit instead of a wonderful worship. I keep restarting my prayer as many times as it takes for me to concentrate on it. And yes, Fr. Mike - I am distracted by my own distraction.

@yousifaskar1730 4 жыл бұрын

what i start to do is that if i feel like the “Our Father” has become me speaking from memory and not from heart, i began to slightly change the wording of the prayer. as it causes me to get away from my distractions and actually think about what i’m saying

@resikat 4 жыл бұрын

I believe I'm currently experiencing dryness. I don't feel that fire I did a year or so ago. But I persist through some routine, like thanking God throughout the day and before bed, praying the rosary with audio and reading the daily readings & reflections. Hopefully I reach the other side soon. Thanks for this, Fr. Mike! :)

@clairebrown6656 4 жыл бұрын

A much needed talk for my current prayer life - thank you

@nhuergop 4 жыл бұрын

When I experience dryness, I just keep going. Like going for a walk and realising your feet are numb, but you keep walking because you cannot stop there for the night, there's a place to rest a few miles ahead, and then return to the journey. Also, in times of dryness, comparable to desolation, according to St. Ignatius of Loyola, do not make decisions, stay the same, do not make changes in your thinking or whatever else.

@marialiedel7971 4 жыл бұрын

☺ First time ever giving a comment here: This channel is an absolute blessing. There are so many Christian videos but very few CATHOLIC ones...Let alone from a priest! I've felt dry in prayers for a couple years now. I used to hear Gods voice so clearly and now nothing. Its so very painful. What about anger in prayer? Has anyone experianced this? I grew up in a rather strict Catholic family and we were basically forced to say the rosary every night. So now I struggle with some anger in prayer and guilt when I do not prayer..

@luzivette177 4 жыл бұрын

I have been waking in dryness and darkness for so long that I can't remember when it started. What helps me? It helps me knows what's happening, see it as a growing pain, I didn't give up to the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist, stay away from people, places, and activities that distract me from God, I changed my Liturgy of the hours, Rosaries and chalets (I don't pray it every day 💔) for different prayers, increased my spontaneous prayers, I talk to Him almost constantly, I offer up everything, thanksgivings prayers at all times recognizing what I gave for granted, I increased my prayers with Mother Mary, my Guardian Angel, Padre Pío, and St.Therese, I see Christian videos, and I just keep trying. They way I feel doesn't stop me from seen God's great love, mercy and goodness in my live. I tell Jesus every day: "I can't see you, I can't feel your comfort but I know you are just in front of me". Like Dori from Nemo (I'm like her 😊) I tell myself: "Just keep swimming "

@twoarrows2543 4 жыл бұрын

Wow, I'm always distracted when I pray, it was never made real clear to me how pure of heart, clear of mind and graceful you should be to have affective prayer. As a Protestant, I'm taught to assume the Lord understands anyway. Means alot not only to have a Catholic priest confirm that, but tell you to pray harder!

@rss5969 Жыл бұрын

Thank you Fr Mike for your encouragement 🙏

@pearlbrush97 4 жыл бұрын

Father Mike, I recently heard that you may be coming to Ireland next year. I am so excited and will travel the length and breath of Ireland to hear you and see you in the flesh. So Excited!

@juliesysing2885 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Father MIKE❤️❤️❤️

@joesinkovits6591 4 жыл бұрын

This is the sixth video of yours that I’ve watched in a row, and there’s no doubt about it: I’m now a Father Mike junkie! I love your humor and the fact that you can explain things so clearly and sensibly. Bishop Fulton Sheen ain’t got nothing on you! I never thought I’d be getting my best Christmas gift a week early. Thank you, Father Mike! God bless you!

@nikiblueeyes5637 4 жыл бұрын

I needed this. Thank you Father Mike!!! 😊

@annaleighatiyeh4070 4 жыл бұрын

I was just in adoration and experienced so much dryness, and I stayed. Good timing on the extra confirmation. 😊

@15lightweight Жыл бұрын

I’m so glad that Jack Reacher was on his mind. One of my favorite book series

@frankdelldeanofsatireandmi5791 4 жыл бұрын

When I first came back to Church, my life was in complete shambles. I fell in love with a Traditional Faith I'd never known before. The Rosary and The Eucharist became essential... Such serenity. I noticed that, when I didn't go to Mass, I was in turmoil and slipping. But when I returned I was at peace.. And now 2 years later, I want so desperately to become a priest! I need benefactors for the Fraternity and to get more... Aligned spiritually first.

@thebr5294 4 жыл бұрын

I pray louder when there are distractions. I sing my Our Fathers, Hail Mary's and Fatima Prayer's in spanish.

@annas7350 4 жыл бұрын

My youth minister did a talk one night and it was about how the Israelites wanted to go back to slavery even after God had helped them so much on their journey. That is how I realized that its okay to have a hard time, but persisting will get you to heaven while giving up will lead you back to slavery. That is always what I remind myself of in hard times of prayer.

@julialopes5054 3 жыл бұрын

This video is amazing, Father. As a person that strugles with scrupulous conscience, I sometimes have a hard time praying when praying is not hard. But God showed me that if I want to be a Saint, I have to learn to take both the gifts and the duties, not only one of them. Thanks a lot for this video and the one about laxity vs rigidity. God bless you and may Our Holy Mother always protect you with Saint Joseph!

@annmariebartholomew2591 4 жыл бұрын

This is kind of like meditation but instead of gently clearing your thoughts so that you can then continue to think of nothing, you’re clearing your distracting thoughts so that you can focus on God

@julienielsen3746 4 жыл бұрын

Meditate on scriptures.

@seanbogs 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Father Mike. I didn't realize it as my prayer life was at the point of intentionally avoiding such content but this was just what I needed to hear. "I'm not here because of the gift that you can give me, I'm here because I just want you." God Bless you Father. And to anyone struggling out there or simply feel bored or "dry" as Father Mike put it, these times are a gift as well. Battle it, and let God condition our hearts towards him because he is the truth.

@gicraft6461 3 жыл бұрын

Praying the rosary helps me to commit to Jesus daily. Back in April 2020 I had 24 days of spiritual darkness. It was hard, but I preserved because I wanted to show my love for God. It’s like “even thought I can’t do extraordinary things, I can always do this act of love.” Praying the Rosary was essential.

@jaymecirka750 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Fr. Mike. This was very helpful for me in my prayer life.

@stanklosiewski6776 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Father Mike, this talk really spoke to the difficulty I many times experience with prayer. Awesome insight. Keep up the good work!

@nickbogush9553 4 жыл бұрын

I am grateful that Fr. Mike addressed this dryness in prayer. It explains God's love for me and why I keep praying even though I am frustrated with my prayer. The Lord speaks in many ways. My confessor has even told me to keep praying just like one would continue to exercise. Eventually, you will see the results.Bless you Father Mike!

@patricknicolucci5073 2 жыл бұрын

I vowed to our most blessed mother that I would pray the rosary everyday for the rest of my life. I greatly desire the plenary Indulgence graces that our Lord and his most blessed Mother can bestow on me to clean me completely of sin . I also must go to confession on a regular basis and receive holy communion as often as possible. Also to honor our Lord and our Blessed Mother on the fist Friday and First Saturday of each month. Amen

@andreaarthur2258 4 жыл бұрын

God was there, thats just what i held onto

@glopez4919 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Fr Mike, no wonder I can feel God's love, it's amazing, at 1st it bothered me that I cry at church, but now I realized that my love for God has grown so so much, and he loves it.

@bellavilla5229 4 жыл бұрын

...i find myself wondering in prayer alot and I use to say to myself and get mad at my own self, " stop doing that" I would always apologize to the Lord after listening to this video I felt like Lord was speeking to me and answering me. I feel so much better now. I just want to love the Lord more and more and be in live with him. I want to follow him everywhere and share his love with ALL, especially my family. Thank you Father for this most educated video on Prayer. May the Lord continue to bless and protect you now til Eternity.

@robertr.c.1121 4 жыл бұрын

I experience dryness a few months ago, one day, I just couldn´t pray more than some Hail Mary a day, now I pray the 20 mysteries of the rosary before breakfast!! Keep persisting, even when you can only say "Jesus, my lord", it´s more than nothing, you´ll recover little by little and eventually, you´ll end up in a higher position!

@Name-le2cc 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Fr. Smith :)

@TheMDelima 4 жыл бұрын

"Love the Giver and not just the gift". Thank you Father Mike for saying it perfectly! ❤️

@priyamartha2502 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks fr. Mike..I wanted this msg so badly..as I face almost everytime the same problems... Pray hard .and stronger when u don't feel like to pray. Perseverance....

@marvinmansueto6081 4 жыл бұрын

What a consoling video. Really!! At times I feel like instead of praying I am just mumbling to myself in an empty room, or instead of reciting the Rosary I am more dosing and catching up where I left. My strongest prayer, is when I cry out to the Lord in my lowest times, in my heartbroken days. But despite all, I pray daily, very often. Walking in the DESERT enriches the soul, actually is soul searching. Thechardest part if all is scheduling time day for peayer and sticking to that time. Or setting out to oray when I am overwhelmed with so many anxities and thoughts. Thank you Father, you are truly practical and so precise.

@susanr3933 4 жыл бұрын

I've been there father many many times and I understand totally what you are saying!!! And it is true that to persist and pray when it's the last thing you want to do, probably has to be a gift that we can give to The Giver, our God!!!

@penelopewhittaker-wright4701 4 жыл бұрын

When I went through a long period of dryness I thanked God anyway! No matter if it was for good things that happened to me or bad! I thought to myself, "If I thank Him for all things then what is the enemy going to so with that?!? Then I spent a time in hospital and the cathedral sent a volunteer from the Chaplaincy. She gave me this prayer! It has been my "go to prayer" ever since! I will write it in Caps so those who don't see too well can read it :) FOR THE GIFT OF PRAYER GIFT OF THE FATHER GIVEN IN JESUS ' NAME, HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD COME INTO OUR HEARTS AND TEACH US TO SAY, 'ABBA! FATHER!' TEACH US TO PROCLAIM, 'JESUS IS LORD TEACH US TO LOVE GOD AND TO CLING TO GOD THROUGH YOU, SPIRIT OF LOVE, WHO HAVE BEEN POURED ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS. AND WHEN OUR OWN PRAYER FAILS US, DO YOU YOURSELF PRAY WITHIN US, FOR US, YOU WHO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD. AMEN! I hope this helps someone as I was helped! 😁

@caryulmer7063 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this Fr. Mike. I've struggled with this, I felt so bad because I thought I was shortchanging the Lord by letting myself get distracted, even though it was unintentional. I needed to hear this, I thought I was the only one this happened to😄

@luluq01 4 жыл бұрын

Father Mike, once again thank you for your videos. You asked what we do in times of dryness or distractions. Well, I do two things- when I am distracted I bring myself back and slow down the prayer and try not to pray routinely but concentrating on what the words mean. In times of dryness I still pray and then tell the Lord the famous answer - “ where should I go Lord? You have the words of eternal life” I am still here with you.

@gerardlegrange237 4 жыл бұрын

Simply knowing that spiritual dryness exists and is normal helped me. Knowing that the dark night of the soul is something that the saints have experienced and have endured is something that has encouraged me to continue praying in the good times and in the bad, even if I “don’t get anything out of it” (which is the point of love anyway).

@romanadeveric7276 4 жыл бұрын

That's what been bothering me for a while. So this video pops up first on my YT list. Thank you.

@easygrammarwithpaul4195 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Father 😇😊

@joyyoung3319 4 жыл бұрын

Prayer is talking with God and we can & should do this in any state of life.

@kurzantema Жыл бұрын

Thank you Fr Mike!

@michiperkins144 4 жыл бұрын

This message really helps cause we love Jesus and still have dry times. I guess we can’t be on the mountain top all the time. My faith actually grows more in the valley 🥺 My worst sins are my thoughts and my mind. It’s hard to keep my mind from straying even though I love ❤️ the Lord.

@PageWithoutTheI 11 күн бұрын

I don’t completely struggle with getting really distracted in prayer; but the reason for that is because it’s directly in my head. I barely think about prayer because I say the same thing every time, which makes me feel dry because I feel less like I’m talking to the Lord and more like I’m going through my head.

@calu8504 4 жыл бұрын

I didn't think, or couldn't recall, that I had a moment of dryness in prayer until one of the comments below made me think of how I used to get so distracted nearly everytime I prayed the Our Father. Being a few sentences in, I got distracted then would start again and kept doing this. One time before confession it was the same, and when going to speak to the priest the first thing he said before I said anything was 'don't keep restarting your prayer as God will still be able to do things with it as though you had said the complete Our Father without interruption.' I was blown away as there was no way the priest would have known about my struggle with this, and it reassured me, at a time when I really needed it, that I was meeting with Jesus in the confessional rather that just the man as a priest. And I now don't worry at all when I say half an Our Father having got distracted midway, I do however try to stay in conversation with God, as Fr Mike says here about the ice/driving analogy, rather than my distraction being a hurdle that I couldn't get over previously.

@michiperkins144 4 жыл бұрын

Fr. Mike sometime when you get a chance would you make a video on how to control our mind and thoughts. Thank you 🙏

@mariakathleen17 4 жыл бұрын

A few weeks ago or maybe months, I'm really struggling with my thoughts that are just really really bad, horrible, vile. I was constantly asking God for forgiveness everytime these thoughts came on. But they continued and I had accepted them as part of who I am, meaning I'm probably really a bad person because i'm having all these thoughts and they are mine so must be a reflection of who I really am. But something just came over me, would I really allow myself to be slave of these thoughts for the rest of my life? They are bad, unhealthy and something that I don't want to get stuck in. And that's when the battle began. Today things are milder now, I still have bad thoughts but I don't bend to them anymore. I immediately ask God's forgiveness through prayer everytime I have one. Also, I recommend praying the Rosary and keep going even if you don't feel like praying so you never miss a day. I also realized that the only identity I want to be is a child of God, not the bad thoughts that keep pestering me.

@michiperkins144 4 жыл бұрын

Sara 🙋‍♀️❤️ I have been thru the exact same attacks. Thank you so much. I’m gonna pray more. The bottom line is the enemy wants our hearts but it’s too late cause we belong to the Lord. Some days I’m stronger than other days. We’re going to win Sara cause we’re the KINGS daughters. And Fr Mike says we’re becoming Saints. Love ya ❤️🙋‍♀️

@mariakathleen17 4 жыл бұрын

@@michiperkins144 Yes, we have to keep going and really see that our ultimate destination is to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. Aside from praying, if you're a Catholic, striving to be a praticing Catholic is good too because then you will have a sense of commitment. So I guess what I'm saying is, our faith is a continuous journey and it has many elements and battles and having bad thoughts is only one of them but that's not our only battle. So I think keeping ourselves busy with the other things about our faith can help too so we're not only preoccupied with one element such us battling bad thoughts :) I hope I'm still making sense lol, I'm not super good at keeping my thoughts organized but I hope the general idea still came across :)

@michiperkins144 4 жыл бұрын

Sara Your so right!!! You make perfect since! Our ultimate goal is to be with Jesus Christ. Someday we’ll all be able to see Him. I hope He doesn’t mind us all staring cause we’ll all be enamored 🥰

@mariakathleen17 4 жыл бұрын

@@michiperkins144 I hope He doesn't mind too :)

@jmurray01 4 жыл бұрын

Sometimes I find the thought of prayer daunting because of dryness and that makes me think "am I doing it wrong?", but as Fr. Mike said in this video that is when we MOST NEED prayer and can get the most from it. When I feel like this I actually force myself not only to pray but also to say the Rosary as that is the best defense against Satan and his will to separate us from God.

@theclapaolini4322 2 жыл бұрын

I just keep on praying and talking to God about it..that it and it passes ..invite Him to be up helper to have more faith.

@rosamariaruvalcaba5252 Жыл бұрын

From the days of Saint Augustine until now, they have repeated that life with God is a convergence between grace and nature. God’s grace is a gift that is like a torrent that sweeps us away by the current of grace, of the invading presence of God. Nature is order, discipline, method, patience, perseverance. In moments of dryness, we use the different prayer methods that Fr. Ignacio has prepared for us in the Prayer and Life Workshops. I have been in the Prayer and Life Workshops for 7 years and have learned how to nurture my relationship with the Lord through prayer, thought bible readings and by surrendering to God all that burdens my heart so that I may wait in complete stillness for the presence of the Lord and bask in His love.

@NocturneVideos 4 жыл бұрын

I am in the night, these days. After the initial consolations come a purification. It's like bringing up the absolute unfiltered Thruth from within me. Pure honesty and humility. No more intellectual faith, no more thinking I'm right, going along with what I think I know. Yes, I think the catholic church is the whole of the Truth, but how do I KNOW it? God is purifying me of my pride and strips down what I thought I knew to reach my innermost honesty and it is terrifying sometimes. Faith is not born of the will, but of the Spirit. Please pray for me.

@dianemarie8873 4 жыл бұрын

WOW 😔🙏 Thank you Fr. Mike.

@sandstorm1317 4 жыл бұрын

Hello Father Mike, thank you for sharing these videos!! I learn so much! I walked in a desert for about 20 years, those were years away from the church . years where I went to psychic, put my friends on pedestals. Lots of sadness, emptiness. Even when I started to explore other places. I went to a divine mercy prayer group and my life changed. I've always had a busy schedule, but being part of a group motivates me. I feel like they hold me accountable to be present. Coming back to church, I'm just seeing things in a different life. I'm just so happy to be where I am today.

@themissionary4christ166 4 жыл бұрын

This is so cool!Praying is awesome especially praying the rosary is too!! :)

@josolano8846 4 жыл бұрын

Beautiful message...I think we all distract somehow bc we always pre-occupied of so many things around us. That's why before I start my days I pray first before my chores distract me and yes I always used the prayers of saint in case I feel dry and couldn't find the right words to pray. It helps me to bring back my attention to Our Lord. Thanks Fr. Mike for teaching🙏😇

@maureenlee9020 3 жыл бұрын

I experience almost constant distractions during prayer which I get so frustrated and sometimes worn out trying to fight off! Having ADD and bipolar symptoms doesn’t help matters. I do get angry and discouraged at times. When I get depressed, I experience such dryness; like I’m just going through the motions. The good thing is that I have a good friend who encouraged me to press on despite the difficulties I had. I am so glad she did, especially since I’m feeling better now. That doesn’t mean I still won’t have difficulties from time to time. But it is important to persist anyway.