“When the devil wants to destroy someone, he begins by instilling in that person a great aversion to prayer.” (St. John Vianney)
We must always expect resistance to our progress in the spiritual life. Although it can happen on our path of following Christ that a certain aversion to vocal prayer may arise in contemplative souls, this aversion is not directed against prayer itself but rather points to the need to seek more silent prayer and contemplation.
However, the Curé of Ars is addressing a different situation here. In this case, the devil wants us to stop praying altogether if possible, to shorten our designated prayer time more and more, and to fill it with other activities. The saint makes it clear that “prayer is to the soul as rain is to the earth.”
The consequences of neglecting prayer are clear. The soul receives no proper nourishment and instead sinks deeper into its natural desires. It grows weaker and, over time, loses its vitality.
To counteract this, we simply need to remain faithful and keep to our scheduled prayer times, no matter how “dry” or “distracted” we may feel. Remember that prayer is not only for the salvation of our souls. Every sincere prayer glorifies God. This is true even when we “feel nothing” or sense “reluctance.” Let us not be deceived by our feelings. Every prayer also serves the Church—that is, the faithful—and can bear fruit for those who are still far from God.
It is certainly not easy to stand firm against our own negative feelings, which are intensified by the devil. However, turning our gaze to our Father will help. He will not hesitate to support us.