But there is something important that I have come to understand: I would not be able to do any of it if I did not first spend time in prayer. Recently, I was talking with an upcoming guest for the Butterfly Girl Podcast, and our conversation turned to this very thing. We were talking about how easy it is to become consumed by everything we need to accomplish. There are emails to answer, projects to finish, deadlines to meet, appointments to attend, people who need something from us, and goals we are trying to reach. But if we are not first spending time in relationship with Jesus, eventually all of that activity begins to run on our own strength, and our own strength has limits.
The temptation, especially for someone who loves being productive, is to make prayer another item on the to-do list alongside answering emails, finishing assignments, writing another chapter, preparing a presentation, and recording a podcast. But I do not think that is how Jesus wants us to approach prayer. Prayer is not another task I need to complete so I can feel accomplished at the end of the day. Prayer is a relationship. If one of my closest friends asked me to dinner, I would not think about checking “spend time with my friend” off my list. I would make room for that person because the relationship matters to me. I would put it on my calendar, protect that time, sit down, listen, talk, laugh, share what has been happening in my life, and simply enjoy being together. Why should my relationship with Jesus be any different?
Sometimes we need to schedule prayer, but that does not mean we have turned prayer into a task. It means we are intentionally protecting time for a relationship that matters. There is a difference between putting “pray” on a checklist and saying, “This is the time I have set aside to be with Jesus.” For me, that time changes everything. Prayer is where I bring the things I am excited about and the things I am worried about. It is where I wrestle with decisions, surrender the things I cannot control, listen for God's direction, and remember why I am doing all of this in the first place.
Prayer is also where many of my ideas begin. My writing is deeply connected to my prayer. So is my podcast, the way I approach speaking opportunities, and the mission behind my books. The more time I spend with God, the more I recognize that creativity and productivity are not simply about how much I can accomplish. They are about being attentive to what God is asking me to do and being willing to follow where He leads.
I also believe God is blessing my efforts because I am trying to begin with Him. That does not mean every opportunity works out the way I expect or that following God's Will suddenly makes everything easy. It means that before I move forward, I am trying to listen. I am asking God where He wants me, what He wants me to say, which opportunities I should pursue, and which ones I should release. Then I am trying, imperfectly but sincerely, to remain faithful to what I believe He is asking of me. The more that happens, the less I see all of these opportunities as things I have somehow created for myself. I see them as gifts and invitations. My responsibility is not to control the outcome. My responsibility is to listen, respond, and remain faithful.
I have also noticed that when I keep prayer as my highest priority, somehow there is enough time. I am able to work full-time, keep up with graduate school, write, prepare for speaking engagements, record podcasts, promote my books, and say yes to the opportunities God places before me, while still finding time to rest, relax, spend time with friends, laugh, enjoy life, and simply be present. That balance matters to me because I do not believe God is calling me to accomplish as much as possible at the expense of everything else. Rest matters. Friendship matters. Joy matters. Taking an evening to relax matters. Spending time with people I love matters.
Prayer does not seem to take time away from everything else. Instead, it helps everything else fall into its proper place. When prayer comes first, I am more intentional with the time I have. I am less likely to spend energy on things God is not asking me to carry. I can work hard when it is time to work and rest without feeling guilty when it is time to rest. There is a freedom in knowing that I do not have to do everything. I simply need to be faithful to what God is asking of me today.
That has been especially meaningful to me as we prepare for Venerable Fulton J. Sheen's beatification. His life and witness have become such an important part of my ministry, and I have been intentionally asking for his intercession. I ask him to pray for me, to help guide this ministry, and to help me use whatever opportunities God gives me for His glory. It is not lost on me that, during this particular season, so many doors have been opening.
As a Catholic, I believe in the communion of saints, and I believe that those who have gone before us can intercede for us before the Father. So yes, I believe Venerable Fulton Sheen is praying for me and advocating for this ministry before the Father because I have specifically asked for his intercession. There is something both humbling and beautiful about that. I am doing the work in front of me, but I know I am not doing it alone.
There will always be more things I could do. There will always be another project, another opportunity, another email, another idea, and another goal. Prayer helps me discern which ones are actually mine. It reminds me that my value is not measured by the number of things I accomplish. I do not have to prove anything to God by being busy. The purpose of prayer is not to make God help me become more productive. The purpose of prayer is to know Him. And strangely enough, when that relationship comes first, everything else begins to find its proper place.
I have more clarity about what deserves my attention. I recognize when I need to say yes and when I need to say no. I am able to approach the work in front of me with more peace because I am reminded that I am not carrying the mission alone. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we will pray when life slows down, perhaps after this semester, after this deadline, after this event, after work settles down, or after we finish everything else. But life rarely slows down on its own. If a relationship matters, we make room for it in the life we are living right now.
Maybe the invitation is not simply to “find more time to pray.” Maybe it is to make an appointment with Jesus. Put the time on your calendar if you need to and protect it the same way you would protect dinner with someone you love. Bring your coffee. Bring your Bible. Sit in Adoration. Go for a walk and talk with Him. Spend time with Scripture. Sit quietly in His presence. Do not approach that time wondering how quickly you can finish it so you can move on to everything else. Spend time with a Friend.
I am learning that the fuller my life becomes with opportunities, responsibilities, dreams, relationships, and work that I love, the more important that relationship becomes. I may be energized by everything I am doing, but Jesus is the source of that energy. Before the books, before the podcast, before the speaking engagements, before school, before work, before the interviews, and before the next opportunity, there has to be time with Him. And when I give Him that time first, I continue to be amazed by how much there is still time for afterward. There is time for the work He is asking me to do, time for the people He has placed in my life, and time to rest and enjoy the life He has given me.
Prayer is not the first thing on my to-do list. Jesus is the One I want beside me through everything else.
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