Fr. John Bartunek: To deepen your prayer, get ready, set, go

A simple structure for prayer is "ready, set, go. 'Ready' is you just create a sacred time and a sacred space. I'm going to meet with God. I'm going to have my time alone with the Lord every morning, in this particular place. I'm going to light a candle...You begin that time, you turn off your phone, you recollect yourself...So that's getting 'ready,'" said Fr. John Bartunek, LC, author of books, including "40 Days to Peace and Union with God: A Journey in Prayer Through the Daily Gospels" (Sophia Institute Press). 

"Then 'set' is the first things that you say to God. We recommend just thank God for something specific. Ask him for something that you need or someone you love needs. And then open yourself to receive whatever grace He wants to give you. So that's 'ready, set' and then you're ready for the 'go.' And the 'go' is the real substance of this time of prayer. And we've got five different steps that you can use during that."