During one of the annual retreats early on in my seminary formation we were encouraged to make a resolution at the end of our five days of prayer and meditation.
The bishop who lead us on retreat said something like: "You have a limited amount of time in your life and in your so only read the best books!" I took this to heart and made the resolution to spend 15 minutes a day reading "the best" spiritual books.
St. Ignatius said that above all prayer, the most important prayer that we could pray every day is the Examen Prayer!
He said that if we were to ever drop any prayer time from our day, because of busyness or tiredness, this should be the last one to be dropped.
The following is a wonderful exercise that you can use every day. It was given to me by a very wonderful Jesuit priest named Fr. Bob Welsh (listen to his Praying with Priests interview here). He led me on my first ever eight-day silent retreat, and it changed my life and the way I pray! These tips are practical ways of entering into prayer.
Lectio Divina is one of the earliest forms of prayer. It was practiced by the monks as they prepared for Liturgy and as an extension of the Eucharist in The Liturgy of the Hours. Lectio Divina gives you a good experience of all three levels of prayer: Vocal, Meditative, and Contemplative. It is also encouraged by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a way to meditate! (CCC 2708)