The practice of the presence of God though we begin it at special times of prayer is designed to spill out and over and into all times.

High and holy ambition--to be a saint--is not opposed to holy humility--total reliance on Gods grace. Exactly the opposite. Ambition without humility is ambition that fails. It is pride which goes before a fall Prov 1618. Humility without ambition is false humility.

Prayer is essentially the practice of the presence of God and that is the road to Heaven. There is no alternative. God is the only game in town. All other roads are dead ends. Since we must give our all to the one true God we must not give any part to idols to the many false gods that now bite away at our lives.

We must pray in order to grow and we must grow because Infinite Love will not cannot settle for less than the greatest joy of which his beloved creature is capable.

God makes it easy to begin just do it God also makes it easy to progress in prayer for he rewards our efforts with peace and joy. And he makes it easiest of all at the end for it gradually becomes more natural and delightful.

There is something in us that fears prayer as a maggot fears light. We must do violence to this voice for it is not ourselves. It is our Enemy.

The single most important piece of advice about prayer is one word Begin

But that is all prayer requires faith hope and love. Great holiness or piety or sanctity are not required. Prayer is a road to holiness.

The only way God can strengthen his presence in our will is to weaken his presence in our feelings. Otherwise we would become spiritual cripples unable to walk without emotional crutches. This is why he gives us dryness sufferings and failures.

One moment of prayer of weak worship confused contrition tepid thanksgiving or pitiful petition will bring us closer to God than all the books of theology in the world.