Many Catholics long for deeper prayer. We read about saints who experienced profound closeness with God — visions, ecstasies, deep interior peace — and quietly wonder: Is mystical prayer only for a few chosen souls?
The Church’s mystics would tell us: no.
While extraordinary spiritual experiences are always God’s free gift, the heart of mystical prayer is not about rare visions or emotional highs. It is about relationship. It is about growing in deep friendship with God and learning to live in awareness of His love.
St. Teresa of Ávila, Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church, described prayer simply as:
“An intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”
To pray like a mystic, then, is not to chase experiences — but to grow in love.
Here are three ways the saints show us how to begin.
1. Make Your Prayer Personal and Real
The Catholic mystics never treated God as distant or abstract. They spoke to Him as Someone truly present.
St. Teresa of Ávila encouraged focusing on the humanity of Jesus in prayer — remembering that Christ walked our roads, felt hunger and weariness, joy and sorrow. In her own prayer life, she imagined speaking with Jesus as with a close friend.
This kind of contemplative prayer is simple and deeply personal. It might look like:
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Talking to Jesus about your fears, hopes, and daily struggles
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Reflecting on how God is present in your ordinary life
Friendship grows through time spent together — not through perfect words. Sometimes the deepest prayer happens not in speaking, but in resting silently in God’s presence.
Mystical prayer begins when we stop trying to impress God and simply let ourselves be with Him.
2. Set Aside Time for Prayer — and Keep Returning
Every strong relationship requires time. The same is true for developing a deep Catholic prayer life.
The saints are practical: choose a time for daily prayer and protect it. Not because God demands it, but because love deserves it.
But the real growth happens when we return even when prayer feels dry, distracted, or unproductive.
St. Teresa herself struggled for years with consistency in prayer. She knew the temptation to give up when it felt difficult. Yet she discovered that spiritual growth does not depend on emotional consolation — it depends on fidelity.
To show up anyway is an act of love.
Many saints also recommend praying in community. Whether through parish life, small groups, or spiritual friendships, community helps sustain perseverance. When one person feels spiritually dry, another carries hope.
If you’re wondering how to grow closer to God, consistency matters more than intensity.
3. Trust the Slow Work of God in Your Spiritual Life
One of the greatest temptations in deep prayer is discouragement:
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Why am I not holier?
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Why hasn’t God answered my prayers?
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Why does spiritual growth feel so slow?
The mystics teach patience.
The spiritual life unfolds gradually. God works beneath the surface, like roots growing deep before any fruit appears.
To pray like a mystic is to cooperate with grace day by day — trusting that God is transforming you even when you cannot yet see the results.
Growth in holiness is rarely dramatic. It is steady, hidden, and faithful.
An Invitation to Begin
Learning to pray like a mystic is not reserved for cloisters or extraordinary souls. It is the call of every baptized Christian: to grow in friendship with God until love becomes the center of life.
You don’t need special techniques to begin contemplative prayer. You need:
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Time
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Honesty
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Perseverance
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Trust
Begin where you are. Speak to Jesus as to a friend. Sit with Him in silence. Return each day.
Over time, you may discover what the saints knew so well: that God is closer than you imagined, more patient than you expected, and more eager for your friendship than you could ever be for His.
Additional Resources
For more on prayer, check out Jeff Cavins on learning to hear God’s voice through scripture, Dr. Sri on deepening your prayer life, or Fr. Mike on how to go deeper in prayer.
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