How do you pray a novena? The word “Novena” comes from the Latin word “novem” which means nine. Therefore, a novena is usually prayed for nine consecutive days, most often in preparation for a big holiday or for a special prayer request or need.

However, a novena can also be spread over nine weeks, with each day of the novena prayed on any day depending on when a particular saint’s day or devotion falls. For example, Wednesday is the day traditionally associated with devotion to Saint Joseph, so a weekly novena in his honor is usually held on a Wednesday.

Some novenas are also spread out over nine months, with each day of the novena being a first Friday. Likewise, there is a time novena that is prayed for nine consecutive hours as the Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague.

There are also novenas that are not restricted to 9 hours, days, weeks, or months. Some are 30-day novenas like the 30-day novenas to Saint Joseph.

Saying novenas was derived from the Holy 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 with 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 next day for 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 recitation of the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be a certain number of times.

So that everyone can learn to pray a novena. There are well-known novenas such as the Novena to the Mother of Perpetual Help and the Novena to the Sacred Heart. These novenas are known to be effective for prayer to be granted. But whatever novena you intend to pray, do it from the heart. God sees what is inside our hearts and answers prayers according to his will.