PRAYER
All prayer is our response to God’s call. We may think is something we do for God but it is God who makes the first move; an invitation to which we respond. There is no one right way to pray - we need to discover what is appropriate for us, at this stage in our spiritual journey. Regular practice will help our way of praying to become totally natural: we should be patient, but persevere.
Our early prayers were often because we wanted something. "Please can I have a bike for Christmas?" "Please make Mummy better." "Let me pass my exams." "Help!" "Thy will be done." Sometimes we remember to say "Thank you" - for a wonderful holiday, for enough to eat, for good health, for friendship, for work to do, for the sacraments. We learn to say "I’m sorry. I’ve failed you again. I’ve fallen short of the glory you intend for me. I’ve sinned; forgive me again."
As we grow in our Christian life we reflect on God and on Jesus Christ and his life on earth. We read again the familiar words of the Bible and think "What is being said to me, today, in this reading?" We meditate and find new meaning and richness in the Bible. Perhaps for the first time we find a faith of our own, rather than the one we received from parents, teachers or books. God becomes a living reality to us. As we become more aware of the glory and splendour of God we are drawn to adore him. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Our early prayers were often because we wanted something. "Please can I have a bike for Christmas?" "Please make Mummy better." "Let me pass my exams." "Help!" "Thy will be done." Sometimes we remember to say "Thank you" - for a wonderful holiday, for enough to eat, for good health, for friendship, for work to do, for the sacraments. We learn to say "I’m sorry. I’ve failed you again. I’ve fallen short of the glory you intend for me. I’ve sinned; forgive me again."
As we grow in our Christian life we reflect on God and on Jesus Christ and his life on earth. We read again the familiar words of the Bible and think "What is being said to me, today, in this reading?" We meditate and find new meaning and richness in the Bible. Perhaps for the first time we find a faith of our own, rather than the one we received from parents, teachers or books. God becomes a living reality to us. As we become more aware of the glory and splendour of God we are drawn to adore him. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
Petition, intercession, penitence, thanksgiving, mindful meditation, adoration - all these are good and valid ways to pray. But some of us find they are not enough. A dimension is lacking - silence.
We are often so busy, so wordy and, if we are honest, so self-centred in our praying that God can’t get a word in edgeways. When we realise this we start to incorporate silence into our prayers, until it under girds our whole prayer life - which is life itself. Life and prayer were inseparable to Jesus. They can be so for us.
We are often so busy, so wordy and, if we are honest, so self-centred in our praying that God can’t get a word in edgeways. When we realise this we start to incorporate silence into our prayers, until it under girds our whole prayer life - which is life itself. Life and prayer were inseparable to Jesus. They can be so for us.
