Prayer
Novenas
Nine days of praying for the same intention: a way to stay with something that matters.
A novena is simply nine days of prayer for one intention. It is not a formula that forces God's hand; it is a way of staying, honestly and repeatedly, in his presence.
How to pray one: choose a single intention and name it plainly. Choose nine consecutive days, and a fixed time you can realistically keep, even if it is two minutes before bed.
Each day, pray in this order: the Sign of the Cross; one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be; then say your intention out loud or silently; then finish with a sentence of your own, such as 'Lord, I trust you with this. Amen.'
Many Catholics pray a novena to the Holy Spirit before a decision, or ask a particular saint to pray with them for the nine days. Asking a saint to intercede is asking for prayer, not worship.
If you miss a day, you have not broken anything. Pick the novena up where you left off, or begin the count again, whichever is easier for you.
A novena that ends without the answer you asked for is still a prayer that was heard. Nine days of returning to God with the same honest need is itself the fruit.