What is prayer?
Last month I talked of the spiritual discipline of spiritual direction. One of the common questions a direction may ask is “How’s your prayer life?” Not meant as a an attempt to produce guilt for we all often feel remiss in praying, but the question is asked to begin a reflection on our life with God. The question I heard in return to one of those requests is what I’d like us to think about this month for I believe it is one of the best ways to grow our spiritual journey. “What is prayer?” I was asked.
Indeed many of us, in fact most of us at some time in our life, have a very limited idea of prayer. The picture that comes immediately to mind is head bowed, hands clasped, and words said to God. “Dear Lord, help me be a better person, heal my aunt Jane, bring peace to our world.” But is that the only way to pray? Most of those who write in the field of spiritual formation advocate a much broader definition. If we start with the idea of prayer as “communion with God” it becomes clear that many activities can be called prayer. We may just gaze in awe at the sight of the sun setting over the Gulf—that’s prayer for it’s God we worship in this setting. We may quietly read Scripture and hear a word of advice or insight. Is that not communicating with God who we believe is involved in the affairs of humanity, that’s us, as Scripture describes? Maybe we throw up our hands and yell “Save me”. Is that not a request of God? In fact the words I mutter as I’m cut off on LBJ are in fact unfortunately a prayer, the curse kind. Just sitting silently emptying our minds of all except our intention to be with God is one of the most profound ways to pray. Just as you communicate with your spouse or friend in many, many, different ways so your communion with God, prayer, takes a multitude of forms.
With such a broad definition of prayer now think about your prayer life.
Last month I talked of the spiritual discipline of spiritual direction. One of the common questions a direction may ask is “How’s your prayer life?” Not meant as a an attempt to produce guilt for we all often feel remiss in praying, but the question is asked to begin a reflection on our life with God. The question I heard in return to one of those requests is what I’d like us to think about this month for I believe it is one of the best ways to grow our spiritual journey. “What is prayer?” I was asked.
Indeed many of us, in fact most of us at some time in our life, have a very limited idea of prayer. The picture that comes immediately to mind is head bowed, hands clasped, and words said to God. “Dear Lord, help me be a better person, heal my aunt Jane, bring peace to our world.” But is that the only way to pray? Most of those who write in the field of spiritual formation advocate a much broader definition. If we start with the idea of prayer as “communion with God” it becomes clear that many activities can be called prayer. We may just gaze in awe at the sight of the sun setting over the Gulf—that’s prayer for it’s God we worship in this setting. We may quietly read Scripture and hear a word of advice or insight. Is that not communicating with God who we believe is involved in the affairs of humanity, that’s us, as Scripture describes? Maybe we throw up our hands and yell “Save me”. Is that not a request of God? In fact the words I mutter as I’m cut off on LBJ are in fact unfortunately a prayer, the curse kind. Just sitting silently emptying our minds of all except our intention to be with God is one of the most profound ways to pray. Just as you communicate with your spouse or friend in many, many, different ways so your communion with God, prayer, takes a multitude of forms.
With such a broad definition of prayer now think about your prayer life.
How would you respond to your director’s question asking about your prayer life?
How do you pray?
How might you expand your prayer life?
How is God responding to your praying?
Blessings, Caroline
How do I pray? With humility and trust. What I am given may not always be what I want, but it is always what I need.
ReplyDeleteHow might I expand my prayer life? Be in silence more. Turn the internal chatter into a conversation with God.
How is God responding to my prayer? Magnificently. When I sense the response at hand, I must remember to take action to fulfill it.
Namaste,
Zen
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