11. At the Heart of Prayer “Prayer isn’t what I do, but what God does inside of us.” – Sister Briege McKenna ***** “God shapes the world by prayer.” – E. M. Bounds ***** “All of us have a holy longing.” – Father Ronald Rolheiser Wired for God Listen the song “My Savior, My God” please click this link: youtube/watch?v=Gt0WluTpFTg&feature=BF&list=MLGxdCwVVULXeGjBaStC_PFufnXnphE-Hb&index=8 Lovingly created in God’s image, each of us carries within us a spark of the divine. You might say that we’re wired for God, compelled to seek God’s presence, wisdom and guidance. Prayer helps us tap into that divine spark, satisfying our longing – indeed, our need – for God. As we grow in our relationship with God, we also come to better see the Lord’s light and love in others. Prayer is for everyone. Through prayer, we open the door to dialogue with God by speaking and connecting to our Creator, and providing the opportunity to have a deeper experience with the source of all life and love. Developing our prayer life – in all its forms and in all life’s circumstances – will nourish our souls and grace our relationships with those around us. Lord, teach us to pray. – Luke 11:1 Spiritual jump start So much that surrounds us can inspire prayer – the beauty of nature, an afternoon spent with family, a simple gesture, a caring smile. One man headed to the neighborhood diner for a coffee to go, as he did every morning. He watched the waitress send her son off to elementary school, as she did each morning. But this day, there was an anxious look on her face. As the man boarded the bus for work, he said a prayer for her and all mothers, especially those with particular concerns. Scripture, Gods’ word, can also inspire our prayers, offering us lessons in handling life’s challenges. And religious writer Father Henri Nouwen advocated praying with religious imagery. These icons, he said, “can lead us into the inner room of prayer and bring us close to the heart of God.” Short prayers count too – when you’re stopped at a traffic light, put on hold, bumper-to-bumper on a freeway, or waiting on a long line. Consider these delays as God’s invitation to turn your mind and heart to him, if only for those few seconds or minutes. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. – Isaiah 65:24 Prayer in the shadows Just as we pray in thanksgiving to God for our blessings and joy, we also pray through our difficulties. At times, the trials and problems of life may make us question God’s loving concern. We may even feel like Jesus on the cross when He “cried with a loud voice… ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me’?” (Matthew 27:46). But in those periods of darkness, desolation and doubt, God “wants us to trust him enough to live with him unafraid, totally defenseless in his presence,” says Carmlelite Sister Ruth Burrows in her book Essence of Prayer. One recent summer, Deborah Robinson and her family were moving to a new state. “There was so much to do and so much that was unpredictable,” she recalls. “The move and its uncertainties plunged me into nights of worry. Each day brought new problems, and as I tried to handle those, the future continued to loom. I was, for want of a better word, lost.” One night, in desperation, Robinson closed her eyes and quietly repeated, “Help me, help me.” “My heart pleaded with God even when I could find no other words to express what I was feeling,” she remembers. “I began to tell God how much He meant to me and how I relied on Him. Many times I repeated those words. In a rush, small pieces of Scripture verses began to come to mind, mostly from Psalms, and I repeated them over again. Slowly I felt my body relax, my stomach settle and my breathing ease. I drifted off to sleep, no longer despairing.” “Those in desolation are turned away from the light of God’s presence, and more focused on the shadows,” explains writer Margaret Silf. “The key is to continue seeking, even in the midst of disbelief.” In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. – Psalm 18:6 A part of every day So many things compete for our attention. Obligations at work and with family, even technology, seem to fill every second of every day. So, when is there time for God? We need to make time, stresses Woodene Koenig-Bricker, author of Asking God for the Gifts he Wants to Give You. She suggests prayer on the way to and from work, or perhaps each time you hang up the phone. There can also be prayer reminders on your desk or refrigerator to re-focus your attention back to God during the day. Jan Weeks says praying helped pay her bills. Usually worried and anxious as she paid bills barely covered by her teacher’s salary, Weeks tried a different approach. Instead of dreading her bills, she began to bless them. As she wrote the check for the utility bill, she prayed for all who kept her warm. As she went payment to the telephone company, she gave thanks because she was able to stay in touch with people she loved. Although Weeks’ finances were the same, within a few weeks the bills seemed more manageable. Gratitude for the blessings that fill her life is the first and last prayer of Annie Welsing’s day. “It wasn’t always that way,” she explains. “But the more I went through in my life, the more I realized that God had gotten me through every time – and given me so many things to be grateful for, even when there were those trials.” Pray without ceasing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Group effort Praying with others teaches us to love, says Patricia Raybon, author of I Told the Mountain to Move. “We have to listen, wait our turn, offer compassion, withhold judgment,’ she observes. And waiting together for God’s answers to our prayers is better than waiting alone, Raybon suggests. Author and television executive Squire Rushnell and his wife Louise discovered an intimacy they’d never experienced, not heard of, by praying together. “At sunrise we brought our coffee to a loveseat,” he says. “There we opened the Bible and our hearts to each other and to God.” Sometimes the person we pray with is someone God sends our way. One woman recalls having lunch at the coffee shop near her home, feeling lost and upset. Suddenly a friend arrived, having taken a rare day off from work. The two sat and talked, with the woman sharing her feelings and fears. “Let’s pray,” said the friend, and the two did so, at a quiet back table. The woman left that lunch with a brighter outlook. Whether it’s a husband and wife, a parent and child, friends or family, praying together helps ground all we do in the source of all goodness – God. Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them – Matthew 18:20 Just breathe Prayer can involve words, but it doesn’t have to. In prayerful meditation, we listen for the voice of God, acknowledging our dependence on and connection to Him. “The atmosphere is charged with God’s presence,” said Jesuit Father Anthony De Mello. “Inhale God as you inhale the air.” Seeking God’s voice in the silence means slowing down. “When I slowed down, used fewer words but took them deeper, I not only enjoyed my time with God more, I actually found myself thinking through the rest of my day about the things on which I’d reflected,” explains Keri Wyatt Kent, author of Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul. She even suggests a “breath prayer” – a short prayer that can be prayed in the space of one breath, simply expressing your love for God and your desire for God’s touch in your life. Centering on the presence of God – and resting in that Presence, unencumbered by life’s busyness – can help keep life in perspective. I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15 The Five Finger Prayer The key to daily prayer is right in your hand – well, on each finger, actually, according to an article in Catholic Digest. Your thumb is nearest to you. Begin your prayers by remembering those closest to you – family, friends and loved ones. Your next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct, and heal. They need support and wisdom in pointing others, in the right direction. Your next finger is the tallest finger. Pray for leaders – in business, government, at work, in your community. They need God’s guidance. Your fourth finger is your ring finger. This finger is your weakest one. Pray for those who are in trouble or in pain; for all in need. Finally, your little finger. Here we place ourselves in relation to God and others. Having prayed for others, ask God to bless you and meet your needs. Lord, Teach Me to Pray This Day… This day, may You be praised for loving me as Your child. This day, may You help me do Your will and bring Your love to others. This day, may You guard and guide me. This day, may you forgive me the wrong I do, as I forgive others. This day, may You protect me and all whom I love. For I know Lord, that this day and every day. You have the power to answer my every prayer. (Source: Christopher News Note 519, The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; Tel. 1-888-298-4050; Email: [email protected])
Posted on: Sat, 12 Oct 2013 01:03:29 +0000
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