Praying the Hours

I blogged on Ash Wednesday that my discipline for Lent would be something that made God more of a focus in my life. I gave this a lot of thought prior to the beginning of Lent and decided I would 'pray the hours.' Mary directed me to a place in the Book of Common Prayer that has daily devotions arranged by the 'hours' i.e. morning, noon, vespers (evening) and close of day. It's been my practice to pray in the morning and at bedtime. The other two times have been more of a challenge. I've found it soothing to take 10 minutes or so after I arrive home from work to sit with God. I follow the directions for Vespers by lighting a candle and sitting quietly before I pray. Afterwards I try to sit a few more minutes in silence....listening for God. That's hard for me. But the hardest time to pray seems to be at noon. I get so wrapped up in my day that I simply forget. All the more reason to stop and re-center on God! He is so much more important than my job. I find that even when I remember to pray, it's very difficult to be still and listen. Truly, this will be a good discipline for me during the coming weeks. And hopefully, it will be a practice that I will be able to continue when Lent is over.