38. How to pray better

38. HOW TO PRAY BETTER
THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER DISPOSES US TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF FAITH AND GROW IN FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD.
Compendium 566-577 Psalm 27
Where to pray? The best place is in  church before the Blessed Sacrament. At home it is good to have a special quiet spot. When to pray? We should pray morning and evening prayers, before and after meals, whenever faced with a temptation or difficulty and as often as we can so as to punctuate the day and have a prayerful spirit in everything we do.
What to pray? The daily scripture readings are excellent, the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Rosary, Mercy Chaplet, the Angelus, Come Holy Spirit, the Magnificat, a favorite prayer from one of the saints such as the Memorare from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, "Make me an instrument of your peace", etc.the Liturgy of the Hours. FORMS OF PRAYER: Vocal (alone or with a group); Contemplative (a gift of the Holy Spirit which allows us to surrender to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration - like lovers gazing at each other and content to just be together in silence), Meditation (marshaling our interior powers and focusing on the mysteries of faith and relationships through readings). Distractions: focusing on ourselves and material concerns instead of the things "above". We must ask the Holy Spirit to create in us a clean heart and steadfast spirit with knowledge of our sinfulness and need for repentance and humility. When our prayer seams "dry" we must use willpower to be vigilant and persevere. We must ask for a clean heart and steadfast spirit and the Holy Spirit will transform our heart and make visible the 12 fruits of his Spirit. By meditating on the Passion of Jesus we enter into his constant prayer for us at the right hand of the Father.