Discipleship

Get Started in Prayer Journey

About this journey

Prayer is integral to our faith life and discovering intimacy with Jesus. The goal of this journey is to carry parishioners through a simple 4-week email drip that gives them simple steps to integrate into their life and set them to integrate prayer into their life. This journey includes four emails with resources, a landing page filled with over 30 resources, and some promotional material.

What would this full journey require of me?

Print bulletin insert
Copy and paste emails into your email builder
Request your landing page to be built on your site

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Customize for your parish

Everything in this package is ready-made for you to use as is or edit to make it more your own. We've created fully customizable templates in the free-to-use online design tool Canva. Use all the assets together or pick and choose what makes sense for your community.

View the roll-out plan by

Copy & Image files

Emails

Four-part email drip with a new step into prayer each week.

prayer-emails

Canva & Image files

Social posts

Invite parishioners into a journey of growing in their prayer life.

prayer-social-posts

Canva & PDF

Bulletin insert

Promote a chance to grow your prayer life across the parish.

prayer-bulletin-insert

Emails

Over four emails, invite parishioners to practice one discipline of their prayer life: daily examen, intercession, hearing God's voice, and creating a habit. We recommend scheduling these emails over the span of four weeks, giving time to integrate each new habit over a week.

Customize to meet your needs

Email 1: Start practicing the Examen

The first email invites parishioner to practice the Examen for week 1.

Invite for you: Discover more of what Jesus has for you.

Dear (_Name),

(_{Anecdote about the impact and power of prayer})

Prayer is one of the most beautiful ways to get to know Jesus better and discover what He has in store for us. From my experience, many gifts await us when we take the time to pray with Him.

I invite you to join me on a magnificent journey to deepen our prayer lives. Here, I know you will experience the abundance of God's grace and discover something beautiful and new.

This week, I want to invite you to start the EXAMEN prayer. It's a simple prayer at the end of the day that takes just a minute or so. In this prayer, you reflect on your day, express gratitude to God for the good, and seek His forgiveness for the not-so-good.

If you already do this, try pausing for more intentional moments during the day to pray, such as when you wake up, during your lunch break, or when you leave work at the end of the day.

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Resources to help with this first step: ‍

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:1-2

In peace,

(_{Pastor / Ministry leader})

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_{Links to above resources:}

_‍_{*For TILMA Parishes, load these resources directly into your own website by updating the URL.}

Article: _YOURURL.COM/resources/basic-prayer-praying-the-examen
Book: _YOURURL.COM/resources/book-six-daily-habits-for-spiritual-resiliency

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_{*For other Parishes}

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Dear (_Name),

(_{Anecdote about the impact and power of prayer})

Prayer is one of the most beautiful ways to get to know Jesus better and discover what He has in store for us. From my experience, many gifts await us when we take the time to pray with Him.

I invite you to join me on a magnificent journey to deepen our prayer lives. Here, I know you will experience the abundance of God's grace and discover something beautiful and new.

If you already do this, try pausing for more intentional moments during the day to pray, such as when you wake up, during your lunch break, or when you leave work at the end of the day.

‍

Resources to help with this first step: ‍

In peace,

(_{Pastor / Ministry leader})

‍
‍

_{Links to above resources:}

_‍_{*For TILMA Parishes, load these resources directly into your own website by updating the URL.}

Article: _YOURURL.COM/resources/basic-prayer-praying-the-examen
Book: _YOURURL.COM/resources/book-six-daily-habits-for-spiritual-resiliency

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_{*For other Parishes}

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Email 2: Embrace distractions

The second week, we invite parishioners to intercession prayer.

Step 2: Staying focused in prayer

Dear (Name),

I hope this email finds you well and filled with the love of our Lord.

As you examine your day with Jesus every night, I hope you have discovered more of His grace and deep love for you (here’s the link to praying the Examen if you need a refresher).

In this second week, I want to invite you to embrace distractions. Prayer can come with many obstacles: our mind wandering, kids needing you, busy schedules, lack of sleep, or simply the struggle of sitting in silence.

Any time you experience a distraction, seek intercession for those that go without this distraction or for the person distracting yourself.

If you're comfortable dealing with distractions and are looking for something deeper, why not spend a little extra time with intercessions? Our beloved heavenly Father delights in your petitions and listens to your prayers. Is there anyone you know who needs your intercession?

Your children may need prayers that God can protect their faith, or your loved one needs the courage to persevere through the illness that keeps them bedridden or in hospital. Or you may be looking for a new job and struggling to know what direction to take.

Whatever the case, take time for intercession. Lay your burdens and those of your loved ones at Jesus's feet. In God's time, He will come to your aid.

Resources to help with this second step:

Video: https://behold.catholicvan.com/resources/common-difficulties-with-prayer

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)

Dear (Name),

I hope this email finds you well and filled with the love of our Lord.

As you examine your day with Jesus every night, I hope you have discovered more of His grace and deep love for you (here’s the link to praying the Examen if you need a refresher).

Any time you experience a distraction, seek intercession for those that go without this distraction or for the person distracting yourself.

Whatever the case, take time for intercession. Lay your burdens and those of your loved ones at Jesus's feet. In God's time, He will come to your aid.

Resources to help with this second step:

Video: https://behold.catholicvan.com/resources/common-difficulties-with-prayer

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)

Email 3: Hear God’s voice

Invite parishioners to listen for God's voice.

Step 3: Learn to hear God’s voice

Dear (Name),

My prayers over these past few weeks have been for each of you so that you may experience the abundance of the Lord in your prayer time.

This coming week, let's all make an intentional effort to tune into God's voice. What does His voice sound like? How can we distinguish it from our own thoughts?

God wants to speak to us, but this often takes practice and discernment.

I invite you to watch this video on hearing God's voice. It's part of a three-part workshop series by the Archdiocese of Vancouver in Canada.

If you're looking for more, I would encourage you also to explore praying with scripture and discovering what God might have for you there.

Resources to help with this third step:

If you have any moments with God during this week or moments with Him from the past few weeks that you are excited about, I would love to hear them. Please send our office an email with your story. There is no movement of God that is too small and not worth celebrating!

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)

Dear (Name),

My prayers over these past few weeks have been for each of you so that you may experience the abundance of the Lord in your prayer time.

This coming week, let's all make an intentional effort to tune into God's voice. What does His voice sound like? How can we distinguish it from our own thoughts?

God wants to speak to us, but this often takes practice and discernment.

I invite you to watch this video on hearing God's voice. It's part of a three-part workshop series by the Archdiocese of Vancouver in Canada.

If you're looking for more, I would encourage you also to explore praying with scripture and discovering what God might have for you there.

Resources to help with this third step:

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)

In the last week, invite parishioners into an ongoing prayer discipline.

Next step: Creating a Habit of Prayer

Dear (Name),

What an incredible few weeks. Your willingness to participate and the stories I've heard of how God has shown up in our community have deeply moved me. It's only just begun!

A prayer life is not just a routine; it's an adventure filled with discovery, freedom, and deep rest. It's a journey that can transform your life and your heart. I invite you to dig deep on this journey by building daily and weekly habits to keep these prayer practices alive.

Retaining a habit is not easy! But do not give up. It takes time, trying new things, making mistakes, and often needing help understanding what will work best for you.

If you already have regular prayer practices, I invite you to ask God about other areas He desires to be close to you. Here are some ideas:

Offering Him your lunchtime for prayer
More time in the morning to pray
Regular fasting
Asking God for an assignment and interceding for a cause, people, or injustice

Resources for this step:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)
‍

Dear (Name),

What an incredible few weeks. Your willingness to participate and the stories I've heard of how God has shown up in our community have deeply moved me. It's only just begun!

Retaining a habit is not easy! But do not give up. It takes time, trying new things, making mistakes, and often needing help understanding what will work best for you.

If you already have regular prayer practices, I invite you to ask God about other areas He desires to be close to you. Here are some ideas:

Offering Him your lunchtime for prayer
More time in the morning to pray
Regular fasting
Asking God for an assignment and interceding for a cause, people, or injustice

Resources for this step:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

In peace,

(Pastor / Ministry leader)
‍

Bulletin insert

As your parishioners scan your bulletin for opportunities to grow in their faith, encourage them to check out specific resources around prayer.

Customize to meet your needs

Bulletin Insert

Promote a chance for parishioners to go deeper in prayer life.

Edit in Canva

Welcome to the Get Started in Prayer Journey

Below is the recommended rollout plan and also a list of all the deliverables available to you. This isn’t the only way to do it! But we think it might be really effective.

When should I roll this out?

You can run this journey as a way to prepare parishioners for a certain initiative in your parish. For example, maybe you want to run this before you run the Tithing Journey. You can also run this in the New Year before Lent, or to supplement the Rule of Life or Daily Habits Journey. All the emails can be adjusted to fit the life of your parish!

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Step 1 - Invite people to explore prayer

The beginning stages for this journey are about inviting people in and getting them excited about more intimacy with Jesus. Let people know that as a parish, everyone will be invited into deeper prayer together so to check their inboxes.

Alternatively, you can edit the promotion for an email sign-up and create a separate email list to send to the prayer emails.

Step 2: Weekly steps to go deeper

Over the span of four emails, you'll invite parishioners to go a little bit deeper in their prayer life. Each email tackles common obstacles in prayer and includes a simple practice for them to try to integrate into their life. Each email will also include a more challenging practice if they need.

We recommend scheduling the emails over the span of four weeks to give parishioners time to try out the practice and discover the challenges and joys in it.

Step 3: Provide steps for an ongoing habit

In the last email of the previous step, you'll set up parishioners to practice a regular habit of prayer. As they take what they have learned in the different prayer emails and accompanying practices, you can offer them a resource page they can continue to come back to to grow in their prayer life.

Related resources

Related resource

Helpful Guides For Implementation

Tilma Tutorial

Create and edit pages in Tilma

Learn how to use the web building tools in Tilma to display your content on pages in a beautiful and compelling way.

View Resource

3rd Party Tool Tutorials

How to Use Canva: A Beginner’s Guide

The Canva editor is intuitive to help you explore and experiment with design tools at your own pace.

View Resource

How can I share suggestions?

Head to our Contact Page and send us a note! We encourage all feedback and suggestions.

Does companion only work with Tilma?

Companion is optimized for Tilma but any parish can buy it and implement it using their digital tools! You can check out the options for Tilma Parishes here.

Details

Created:

June 7, 2024

Category:

Discipleship

Effort:

Moderate

Contents:

Fully editable

Available in:

English

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Companion is a service of Tilma

A simple 4-week introduction to a deeper prayer life.

Get Started in Prayer Journey

About this journey

What would this full journey require of me?

Customize for your parish

Emails

Invite for you: Discover more of what Jesus has for you.

Step 2: Staying focused in prayer

Step 3: Learn to hear God’s voice

Next step: Creating a Habit of Prayer

Social posts

Bulletin insert

Welcome to the Get Started in Prayer Journey

Step 1 - Invite people to explore prayer

Step 2: Weekly steps to go deeper

Step 3: Provide steps for an ongoing habit

Helpful Guides For Implementation

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