SOME REFLECTIONS ON PRAYER

Recently I’ve had some insights into my own prayer life that others may also find helpful.

To prepare, I begin by just letting my mind wander freely for the first 5mins or so. As my mind tends to naturally race, doing this lets me focus better once prayer begins.

1) PRAY FOR THE DESIRE TO PRAY

God knows we are busy, distracted, and have a million things on our mind other than prayer. We need to be honest about that. Bringing forth this concern is liberating; awareness of our limitations allows us to move forward with integrity rather than forcing it. We then can relax in front of God and be ourselves, and this ultimately makes prayer deeper and more sustainable.

2) PRAY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE GOD’S LOVE

We preach a God of love, yet so often punish ourselves relentlessly when we stray from Him. If we’re not careful, prayer can turn into an echo chamber of self-criticism. How difficult it is to accept that we are still worthy of love? How difficult is it to accept forgiveness?

But without this acceptance there is no hope for us. Beating ourselves up will not bring us closer to God; this will only come by opening our hearts to His mercy.

Karl Rahner had this wonderful little prayer: “Lord, give me the strength and courage to be worthy of being called a Christian.” We often think of strength and courage as necessary for mighty deeds, but they are also required to simply allow ourselves to be loved.

Pray that we may truly accept the audacious reality at the heart of our faith: a God of love.


3) PRAY THAT WE MIGHT REFLECT THAT LOVE BACK TO THE WORLD

In conclusion, praying that we may reflect the fruits of prayer back to the world. A friend once said to me that Christianity was not about shutting ourselves away huddled in front of a candle; that it was about being out in the world to love and serve others. I replied that I huddle in front of a candle in prayer SO THAT I might love and serve others.

Etty Hillesum wrote; “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.” May that be the fruit of prayer; to gather ourselves in the presence of God so we might bring that peace into this troubled world.