If this weren’t a Sunday, it would be the feast of St. Faustina, one of my favorite saints. I used to meditate on her diary in the chapel during and after my conversion.
During the toughest times since, she’s my go-to saint who makes me feel better just knowing that she kept the faith when things looked bleak.
Why we love her
Faustina was anxious a lot. She was rejected by the sisters she lived with. She was often in pain. The mission Jesus himself gave her seemed to be failing.
Sound familiar?
And yet she had a secret weapon that gave her unshakable trust. I call this secret weapon “wasting time with God.”
She wrote:
“I will not allow myself to be so absorbed in the whirlwind of work as to forget about God. I will spend all my free moments at the feet of the master hidden in the Blessed Sacrament.”
How Faustina helps us
She keeps it simple: simply show up.
- We don’t have to feel anything in prayer.
- We don’t have to pretend everything’s great in our lives.
- We don’t have to carve out hours for prayer—Faustina speaks of grabbing “moments.”
And because, like Faustina, the whirlwind of work draws us into its vortex, prayer can feel like we’re wasting time. But that’s a lie of the enemy, whose only goal is to separate us from God.
Practice for heaven
Here’s the truth: connection with God is what we were created for, and it’s how we will spend our heaven. Hanging out with God brings us a deep peace that the world cannot give, or take away.
The peace we receive in prayer empowers us to see everything through God-colored glasses. We’re more patient, kind, and forgiving. Prayer is a way of practicing for heaven now!
How to do it
My #1 tip for claiming time to pray every day is to choose a consistent time and place when you’ll have the least chance of interruption.
Most people find first thing in the morning is best. For you, maybe it’s during your lunch hour. One woman prays while she’s breastfeeding.
Ask God for help deciding, and be creative! For example, consider getting buy-in from family members to support you in this. One mother of many children warns them, “You don’t want to see mommy without her prayer time.” 😂
If you block out the time, I guarantee it will seem easy after it becomes a habit. Start with a small amount of time that is 100% doable and work up from there.
Even on days that your to-do list screams for attention, the difference you’ll experience in your outlook and relationships will keep you placing “wasting time with God” at the top of that list.
Could you use some encouragement?
Well, I have great news. My 31-day prayer journal, “Bless You Daughter: Praying with Resilient Women of the Bible” is FREE for you today. But it won’t be free for long! Grab it here now.
You’ll get:
- a fresh take on 31 relatable women in scripture
- questions that prompt you to ponder how the scripture applies to your life today
- space to write your ponderings and prayers
- a short prayer to set your day off to a great start
