Detachment
Finding Time for Prayer
Books by Theme
“I’d really like to do mental prayer, but I don’t have the time.” How often this has been said! And in a hyperactive world like our own, the difficulty is a real one and should not be underestimated. But time is not always the real problem. The real problem is knowing what really matters in life. As a contemporary author remarked, no one yet has starved to death because they didn’t have the time to eat. We always find (or rather take!) the time to do what really matters to us. Before saying we don’t have time for mental prayer, let’s begin by reviewing our hierarchy of values, to see what our real priorities are.
- Time for God, p.26
Regarding this problem of time, we should make an act of faith in Jesus’ promise: “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time!” (Mk 10:29). It is legitimate to apply this to chronological time as well: whoever gives up a quarter of an hour of television in order to pray will receive a hundredfold in this life—the time will be returned to them a hundredfold, not in quantity but in quality. Mental prayer will give one the grace to live out every moment of life in a much more fruitful way.
- Time for God, p.27
TIME FOR GOD
Many people today are thirsty for God and feel a desire for an intense, personal prayer life that is deep and ongoing. But they encounter obstacles that prevent them from following the path seriously, and especially from persevering on it. Time for God was written with these desires and difficulties in mind.
In Time for God, author Jacques Philippe mainly concentrates on mental prayer: prayer that consists of facing God in solitude and silence for a time in order to enter into intimate, loving communion with him. Practicing this kind of prayer regularly is considered by all spiritual masters to be an indispensable path that gives access to genuine Christian life—a path to knowing and loving God that empowers us to respond to his call to holiness addressed to each individual.
Philippe draws on years of experience as a spiritual guide to illuminate the fundamental principles of mental prayer and describes some common mistakes and misconceptions that can lead it astray. With simplicity and clarity he explains the foundational principles for a healthy prayer life and gives advice for overcoming the various obstacles that arise when one sets off on the path of interior prayer.
Time for God has become an international bestseller in French and Spanish and is written by the bestselling author ofInterior Freedom, also published by Scepter.