When You’re Too Tired to Pray: The Power of Quiet Prayer

When You’re Too Tired to Pray: The Power of Quiet Prayer

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation on *The Call with Nancy Sabato* focuses on Marie Chapian’s experience of intense physical pain, quiet prayer, and a very different kind of joy – one that doesn’t vanish when life hurts.

Marie describes a serious hospital stay, saying, "It was terribly, terribly painful… but I was never upset." From that crisis she began to see joy not as hype or constant excitement, but as "a state of being" found in God’s presence.

If you’ve ever tried to "white‑knuckle" your way into peace, you’ll probably relate when she points out, "You can't possibly, possibly white‑knuckle your way into joy or peace." Instead, she talks through a simple but challenging practice she calls "quiet prayer": pulling aside for about 20 minutes, twice a day, asking for nothing, dropping all the usual lists and self‑focused requests, and simply sitting in God’s presence. Thoughts wander to dinner plans?

Gently park them and come back to, "Right now, I'm sitting in the presence of God." For anyone in addiction recovery or chronic stress, this shift from chasing feelings to resting in presence can feel huge.

Marie contrasts happiness that depends on circumstances with joy that stays: "Joy is always there, and you sense it when you're in his presence." She links this to scriptures like Psalm 30:5 and Jesus walking *on* the stormy water, urging people to "stop diving into it" and instead let the Holy Spirit lift them above the turmoil.

The episode wraps with a tender challenge around mercy: letting the peace and kindness received from God spill over into "your opinions… your thoughts… and most of all, in your treatment of others." If you’re exhausted, anxious, or stuck in old patterns, this gentle talk might be the nudge to try sitting quietly with God and see what changes first: your circumstances, or your heart.