Approaching this Lenten season, I spent some time reflecting on what I wanted to give up, or take on, this year for Lent.
Lent is a time of sacrifice, a time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us on the cross as we approach Easter.
I began to think about what is missing from my life, what could really aid in my reflection on sacrifice and what would be a sacrifice I could make, and then I realized it’s actually quite simple: prayer.
I must admit, on a college campus, we’re all very busy it seems.
Between classes, sports, clubs, trying to maintain a sleep schedule and a social life and so much more, we get caught up in getting everything done and it can be very easy to let the day slip away from us, spending little to no time with God.
I am certainly very guilty of this.
All too often, it can seem like there’s just no time left in the day, and I realized that frequently causes me to neglect my faith life.
I found myself making excuses rather than making time for God.
So, for Lent this year, I have decided to spend some time each day with God in prayerful reflection, usually by reading from a devotional, but it varies day to day.
So far, I have found that there is actually way more than enough time in a day for me to accomplish this, especially because prayer can be done anywhere.
You can pray while you’re getting ready for the day or getting ready to go to sleep, you can pray while you’re exercising, eating, waiting in between classes, taking a study break and so on.
You can pray anywhere and at anytime.
If you’re someone who likes a more quiet environment for prayer, Gannon has a beautiful small chapel in the Student Services Building right on campus, directly behind Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel.
I have utilized this space to pray the rosary on several occasions and find it to be a wonderful, quiet place to spend some time with God.
And this is just one example, because again, prayer can be accomplished anywhere.
Another beautiful thing about prayer is that there’s so many ways to do it.
For example, you can pray from a devotional, pray before meals, listen to worship music, pray the rosary, or simply close your eyes and start talking to God.
With so many ways to pray and so many places to do it, I found that “there isn’t enough time in the day” was not actually my problem.
The real problem is my willingness to neglect my prayer life. There is certainly enough time for God; I just wasn’t willing to make that time.
So, for anyone else who struggles with prayer or finding time for God, I encourage you to try different things and find what works for you. Prayer looks different to everyone; find what draws you closer to God and don’t lose sight of it. And if you need any further encouragement, remember that we are all certainly capable of sacrificing a few minutes of our day for the one who sacrificed it all for us.

GRACE DENNIS
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