When I was considering the possibility of a religious vocation, prayer was an important aspect in the discernment process.  Prayer is central to vocational discernment. It grounds the discerner in relationship with God and prevents discernment from becoming focused on personal ambition.   Prayer creates interior space where the discerner can listen to God’s invitation.   Through prayer, desires are clarified, fears are named, and the movements of the Spirit become more recognizable.

Discerning a religious vocation often awakens a desire not simply to do more, but to listen more deeply – to God, to one’s heart and to the quiet movements of grace shaping a life.  Prayer becomes less about saying the right words and more about learning to dwell attentively in God’s presence.

Most of us already pray, at least in some way. And yet, if we are honest, many of us also struggle. We get distracted. We grow dry. We feel unsure if we are “doing it right.”  Here, I want to suggest some tools—simple practices to help us become available to God.

The practices offered here are gentle pathways intended to support the unfolding relationship with God and help your prayer grow into a place of trust, honesty, and inner freedom as you listen for the call that is uniquely yours.

I find it helpful to think of prayer the way you might think of gardening. Growth does not come from force, but from attention, patience, and care. The tools merely help create conditions where life can emerge.

The Tool of Time: Making a Daily Appointment with God

Every meaningful relationship requires time. Prayer does not grow accidentally; it grows intentionally.

Setting aside a regular time for prayer – even ten minutes a day – has been essential for me.  What matters most is not the length time, but that it is realistic and faithful.

Over time, it creates a simple rhythm that shapes the heart. 

Jesus Himself “would withdraw to deserted places to pray.”  He chose time on purpose.  When we choose time for prayer, we are saying to God, “You matter enough to me to show up.

The tool of place: Creating a Sacred Space

Where we pray shapes how we pray.

A simple chair by a window, a candle on a table, a cross, an icon – these outer signs help our inner selves become more attentive.  Over time, the body remembers:  When I sit, I listen.

I have learned that a sacred space does not need to be elaborate.  It needs to be intentional-set apart as a place where I consent again and again to being present for God.

The tool of Silence:  Letting God Speak First

For many years, silence felt uncomfortable for me.  It seemed “unproductive,”  even awkward.  But gradually, I have come to see that silence is not emptiness – it is availability.

In silence, prayer shifts from speaking about God to being with God.

Scripture tells us that God's voice is often not in the wind or the earthquake, but in the “still small voice.”   Silence has taught me patience.  It has exposed my restlessness.  Over time, it has softened my heart.

When silence feels difficult, I no longer assume something has gone wrong.  I take it instead as a sign that I am honest – and honesty, I’ve learned.

The tool of Scripture: Letting the Word Read Us

I no longer approach scripture primarily as something to study, but as something to pray.  When I stay with a passage slowly and reflectively, I find that God’s story begins to intersect with my own.

When I pray with scripture, I often ask simple questions:

• What word or phrase stays with me?
• Where does this touch my life right now?
• What is God inviting me into?

Praying scripture reminds me that God has already spoken - and continues to speak -into the lived texture of our lives.

The tool of Honesty: Praying Life as it is

One of the most freeing discoveries in my prayer life has been realizing that God does not require polished prayers.

The psalms have given me permission to bring everything into prayer – lament, anger, doubt, gratitude, joy.  Nothing is excluded.  Prayer becomes real when I stop pretending with God and allow my life, exactly as it is, to be present in God’s presence.

The tool of Perseverance: Showing Up Even When It Feels Dry                    

Every prayer life I have known – my own included -moves through seasons.

Sometimes prayer feels alive and consoling.  At other times, it feels empty or mechanical.  I no longer interpret this as God’s absence.  Often, it is a sign that prayer is shifting from experience to trust.

I have learned that faithful prayer is less about how it feels and more about who I am turning toward.

Conclusion: Prayer as Relationship

At its heart, prayer is not something I do for God.  It is something we do with God.

The tools of prayer are not meant to control God or guarantee results.  They simply help me stay present long enough for love to deepen.  As I walk these pathways, I try to do so gently, resting in the steady presence of Christ, who calls without haste and waits with patient love.

I no longer feel the need to force clarity or hurry what is still unfolding.  I trust that God often works quietly, beneath the surface of ordinary moments, shaping the heart through prayer, desire, and growing freedom.  Prayer has become a place of rest for me – a place where I am known and loved as I am, and where my deepest longings are given time to speak. In that patient listening, I have found the courage to trust the One who first called me by name, and allowed the shape of my own “yes” to emerge with simplicity and peace.

Are you searching for something more, something that challenges you with a life to be your best self?  Are you passionate about the Gospel?  Are you ready to answer the call?  Take the next step and contact Sr. Ana at ana.gonzlez@oppeace.org.