“There is only one way to perfection and that is to pray; if anyone points in another direction then they are deceiving you.” ~ Saint Teresa of Ávila

If we want to become the people God made us to be, we need to set aside time every day for prayer. It sounds simple enough, but we often allow distractions, temptations, and our busy lives to keep us from daily prayer.

And what is prayer?

Prayer is our “no” to self and “yes” to God. Prayer is the place where we freely choose to receive God’s love. As we daily try to raise our minds and hearts to God, giving our time to be present with him, God gives us the love that alone can transform us into his image and likeness.

In How to Pray: A Practical Guide to the Spiritual Life, spiritual theologian David Torkington offers everyday guidance for entering more deeply into prayer, whether you are a beginner or looking to go deeper in your prayer life. The forty short, easy-to-read chapters in this guide can be read as a devotional, for meditation, or alongside Sacred Scripture.

Through prayer, our soul becomes like a lightning rod allowing the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts. The more regularly and the more persistently we pray, the more we are changed.