“I can’t seem to find time to pray…what type of prayer should I be doing?…What is the best form of prayer?” These are all questions that we ask ourselves at one time or another, and they are all good questions. But I wonder if we may need to back up sometimes and ask a more basic question. For example, “What is prayer?”
Many words come to mind and heart when I think about “prayer” – words like…Gift, Practice, Responsibility, Gratitude, Presence, and Relationship – the “Double GPR” you could say, if you like acronyms. These may or may not be words that you associate with prayer, but I believe that they may be associated with prayer.
Many times we start out thinking that we have to initiate something in order for prayer to happen. Although “doing something” is part of many specific types of prayer, perhaps we should ask ourselves, first, why we even feel called to pray. We may look at it as a requirement so to speak for living a faithful Christian, or for that fact any religious life. More than that though, I believe that many times we just do not consider that prayer, and indeed even the desire to pray, is a gift from God. It is a gift of Love freely given, and offered to all. Indeed, the realization of this is itself prayer.
So right from the start, prayer can be a spiritual posture of the natural response to this realization of the gift of prayer and this elicits natural gratitude. When we allow ourselves to listen, to simply receive this gift of Love, the desire to pray, the longing to connect with our Creator, we cannot help but be grateful. When we intentionally cultivate this simple realization of the gift of prayer and receive it as a gift, the practice of doing this, in whatever way works best for us, will deepen the experience and stretch it across the boundaries of our “prayer times” crossing it into our everyday lives.
So what is this Gift of Love, this desire to pray for which we are so thankful? It’s like an open invitation to encounter God’s Love right here and right now. It’s an invitation into relationship. In fact, it is an invitation to notice that we are already in the relationship with God, though we may not be paying attention to it. It’s an invitation to “pay attention” to what is happening right now in this moment. No matter where you are, God is there, is HERE, with you in everything, everyone around you. Not just the in beautiful rainbow, a stunning sunset, or the pleasant neighbor, but also in the rain and mud, the flooding, the infuriating traffic, the sickness, and the irritating stranger. This “noticing” is an engaged type of “listening” within a context of Love.
This all sounds good and well, but how does it come about, or how does one start to approach or experience prayer in this way you may ask? I think it flows from a commitment to practice. When we commit to practices in our lives that cultivate this ever-growing awareness of how God is present in our lives all the time, peeking out at us from all our everyday worlds, waiting to be noticed, waiting for us to realize God’s presence, learning to listen and “see,” then the natural gratitude that we feel for this pure gift will allow us to respond. This is prayer as responsibility, or as I would like to say response-ability, i.e., our ability to both listen and respond This ability to listen and respond will grow and grow as we commit to continuing the “practice” of noticing this gift of prayer, this gift of relationship that is always and everywhere. Until somewhere down the road, we suddenly feel passionately compelled to respond, i.e., we cannot not respond. It comes on like a welcome “demand!”
So, perhaps prayer is not a “thing” at all, but the nurturing of this relationship between you and God, that (as you will find if you have not already) also ends up including everyone else eventually. It is a journey of “relating” in love to God and all the world. Prayer is a process of discernment as listening and responding that cannot be rushed. It is a journey of patience and perseverance and it can cross over into many different practices.
So what about the time commitment and the type of prayer? When you are looking for or even “trying out” a type of prayer practice to engage, the question of time is important. You will have to take the time. The consistency in the practice of prayer is of the utmost importance. Some amount of time has to be consecrated or “set aside” each day to engage in the type of prayer you are practicing. This practice or prayer form can be anything that begins to “still your mind” so that you can be present to God’s Presence with you. For some it could be the rosary, spiritual readings, or reading daily devotions or reflections. Others may prefer Lectio Divina, the re-reading of scripture passages allowing them to speak to your heart. Prayers of petition for loved ones and those suffering in the world may also be a part of your prayer practice. There is no set formula for the “correct” type or form of prayer. You may try one for a while, even several years, and then choose to try something else. Or it may be a combination of many different prayer forms. Please don’t be afraid to try anything. It is the consistency of the prayer practice that fosters the gift of prayer as receiving God’s presence in the here and now –listening and responding with gratitude in that loving awareness.
I personally practice centering prayer and lectio divina. I do this individually and with a small spirituality group. I sometimes go into silence by sitting inside the house or outside on the front yard swing, and just become aware of the simple sounds and sensations going on inside me and all about me, and then letting them go, as much as I can. It’s not a pass or fail, but an intention to be present. Sometimes I simply walk through the gardens in my yard or take a run along the lakes, and this helps me to be present to God’s presence, to receive the love of God’s creation and to bring the world and its hurts into the experience. This can be very healing. Other times, I may be busy about my day, and suddenly realize that I am breathing, or NOT breathing. This jolt becomes my prayer and I may choose one word to help me stay centered as I continue on through the day, like “mercy.” Just saying it quietly to myself over and over.
Communal prayer is as important as personal individual prayer and in fact is the necessary complement to it. Of course, the great prayer of the Catholic church – the celebration of the Eucharist is central. Coming together as the Body of Christ to receive the Body of Christ and then to go forth to give and receive that same Body of Christ in the world outside the Church doors is the very heart of our Christian prayer. The Eucharist as received and Lived by the Body of Christ perhaps best expresses this Gift of God’s love in relationship that draws out the ability to listen and respond in gratitude and committed responsibility towards each other in the world. Yes, prayer is a justice issue!
Small faith/action groups are also an excellent way to practice prayer and journey in the relationship of God’s presence in this world. There is a sense of shared responsibility that comes from the committed trust that happens in the practice of a small faith community that in its most healthy form always reaches out to others inviting them in and empowering them forward.
Prayer happens in this commitment to constantly attempt to “relate” to God and to others in God. No matter the practice you choose, it is the commitment to this practice and the openness it affords you that will change your way of “seeing” and “hearing.” Somewhere along the way, you will discover that the “set aside” time of prayer has suddenly spilled over into other parts of your life. You realize that God doesn’t stay at home in your room, or in the Church building, or in your garden waiting for you to return, but is actually accompanying you and meeting you all throughout the day.
Prayer is a journey of relationship that we all live. So, pick a time, a space or place, a practice, or continue what you are already doing, and commit to trying to keep your eyes and ears open for the Presence of God that comes at you in all of God’s wonderful creation and simply respond in gratitude!
tpt 10/24/16