How To Pray A Novena
How do you pray a novena? The word "Novena" comes from the Latin word "novem" which means nine. So a novena is generally prayed for nine consecutive days - most often in preparation for a great feast day, or for a special prayer request or need.
However, a novena can also be spread over nine weeks, with each day of the Novena being said on any day depending on when the day of a particular saint or devotion falls. For example, Wednesday is the day traditionally associated with devotions to St. Joseph so a weekly novena in his honor is usually done on a Wednesday.
Some novenas are also spread over nine months, with each day of the Novena being on a First Friday. Likewise, there is an hourly novena which is prayed for nine consecutive hours such as the Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague.
There are also novenas which are not restricted to 9 hours, days, weeks or months. Some are 30-day novenas like the 30-day novena to St. Joseph.
Saying novenas was derived from Sacred Scriptures. In Acts 1:14, Jesus told His disciples to pray together in the upper room so the apostles, our Blessed Mother and other followers of Jesus prayed for nine consecutive days, ending in the Descent of the Holy Spirit or Pentecost.
Praying a novena is simple. Instructions are provided in novena prayer booklets and even online. Some are so simple that all you have to do is pray a short prayer, mention your prayer intention and pray it again the following day up to nine days.
Other novenas contain long prayers. There is usually an opening prayer and a different prayer for each day or week of the novena. Some novenas also prescribe the praying of the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary and Glory Be a certain number of times.
So everybody can learn how to pray a novena. There are well known novenas such as the novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help and the Sacred Heart Novena. These novenas are known to be efficacious in having one's prayer granted. Bu whatever novena you intend to pray, pray it from the heart. God sees what's inside our hearts and answers prayers according to His will.