Make These Prayers a Daily Habit

Prayer is vital to growing in our faith. As Saint Padre Pio says, “Prayer is oxygen for the soul.” I think this paints a beautiful picture of how prayer is a necessity.

Listed below are prayers that speak to me, and I hope you find them to be inspirational as well. I found that a good practice is to pray these prayers as part of my daily routine. The first one listed below is a Saint Joseph prayer that gets me in the work mindset.

O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.

All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen.

This next prayer is a  common Saint Anthony of Padua prayer that always softens my heart, thinking of the Infant Jesus.

O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, you whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my prayer into the ears of the Infant Jesus, who loved to linger in your arms. One word from you and my prayer will be granted. O, speak but that word and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours! Amen.

I love praying the novena prayer below to the Sacred Heart, because then I am spiritually united to Saint Padre Pio.

O my Jesus, you have said: ‘Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.’ Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of…… (here name your request) Our Father… . Hail Mary… . Glory Be to the Father… .

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus, you have said: ‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ‘ Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of…… . (here name your request) Our Father… Hail Mary… . Glory Be To the Father… .

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O my Jesus, you have said: ‘Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away. ‘ Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of… . . (here name your request) Our Father… . Hail Mary… . Glory Be to the Father…

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

The spiritual communion prayer below is a wonderful prayer to pray every day, especially if you cannot make it to daily Mass and receive Jesus in the Eucharist.

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already here, and unite myself wholly to You.

Since I cannot mention prayer without talking about the “Our Father,” here is the very prayer Jesus gave us as recorded in Sacred Scripture. It is truly one of the greatest prayers of all.

“But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ‘This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:6-13