Quietly come to your place of prayer, and take up your chosen posture. Make sure you're comfortable.

In your own words, ask God to help you to be open and honest during the prayer.

Take a few minutes to relax. One way of doing this is simply to become aware of your breathing in and out, in and out, in and out. As you focus on your breathing, let your in-breath express your longing for God and your out-breath express your surrender to God. Don't think too much about it: just let it happen.

Recall a scene from scripture.

Mt.4:18-22 The first disciples are called
Mt.20.20-28 The call to be great in service 
Mk.3:13-19 Jesus formally appoints the twelve 
Mk.10:17-22 The call of the rich young man 
Lk.4:16-22 Jesus announces his vision 
Lk.9:1-6 The mission of the twelve 
Jn.1:35-39: What do you want?

See the events described: Jesus, his disciples, other onlookers... Hear what he says. Notice what he does... See yourself as a participant in the scene... Perhaps Jesus looks in your direction... Perhaps he talks to you... Listen to what he says... Perhaps you speak to him... Don't feel you have to be pious or formal in the words you choose... Be real and honest... Say to him what comes from the heart... You may want to mention your thoughts about joining the Jesuits...

End your prayer simply with an Our Father.

For a few minutes after the prayer, think back over it and recall how it was for you. Don't judge it. Sometimes prayer can be alive and full of energy. At other times it can be quite dark and full of struggle. And quite often, it may seem that nothing at all happens in prayer, that it is a waste of time. We have little control over these reactions, so don't evaluate your prayer: simply notice what happened in it, and how you felt during it. If the question of vocation arose in your prayer, notice how you felt about it: enthusiastic? anxious? bewildered? fearful? indifferent? Again, don't judge; simply notice.

In a special copy-book, write down briefly how the prayer went for you. If you do this each time you pray, you may find that a picture begins to emerge that may help you in your reflections, and later in your discussions with the Promoter of Vocations, if you choose to contact him.

Decide when you hope to pray again, and choose a scripture passage for it now.