I used to think a real prayer life would just happen on its own, that if I loved God enough I’d naturally find the moment somewhere between waking up and going to bed. It never worked that way. The day filled in around me, work, the kids, a dozen small emergencies, and prayer kept getting pushed to whenever I finally noticed I hadn’t done it yet.

Daniel didn’t leave it to chance. Three times a day, whether it was convenient or not, whether the king had just made it illegal or not, he went up to his room and knelt down and prayed, as he had done previously (Daniel 6:10). Not when he felt like it. At a set hour, kept the same way no matter what the day was doing to him.

So today’s exercise is small and specific. Pick one time. Not “sometime today,” an actual hour, maybe your lunch break, maybe the minute you sit down in the car before pulling out of the driveway. Set an alarm if you need to. When it goes off, stop and give God five honest minutes before the rest of the day talks you out of it.

I’ve started keeping mine at 9 in the morning, right after I sit down at my desk. Some days it ends up being the only unhurried thing I do. That’s kind of the point.

Today’s Bible Study

Paul tells the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and for a long time that verse discouraged me more than it helped. How is anyone supposed to be praying all day long without the rest of life falling apart? But I don’t think Paul meant one unbroken thought running underneath everything. I think he meant a life with prayer running through it like a heartbeat, and a heartbeat needs a rhythm to keep going at all. A set time isn’t the opposite of praying without ceasing. It’s what makes it possible. The fixed hour is the beat that keeps the rest of the day in step with it.

Recommended Reading

If you want something to actually sit with once you’ve picked your time, I’ve started keeping Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen nearby. It’s built for exactly this, a short meditation for whatever day it is, meant to be read at a set appointment rather than whenever you happen to remember.