Prayer

“Worship is letting down . . . becoming still . . . opening up to God”
-- St. Paul’s parishioner

Individual Prayer: Dwelling Intentionally with God

Our natural state is to be in relationship with God. Conversation with the Holy is what the soul is designed for, and we feel incomplete and restless unless we are engaged in it. Prayer is our native tongue.

However, prayer is not something that we do. Rather, it is what God does in us. If we open ourselves to God as God moves our hearts, we will be guided to a way of praying that is unique and right for us.

But we have to start somewhere. Usually a prayer technique that has been tried and refined over centuries is a good place to begin. Then we need to practice what we have chosen for awhile, listening for how God wants to fine-tune the interaction. Prayer is God reaching out in self-revealing love.

Here are some practical considerations for any kind of prayer.

Find a place and time. A great many forms of prayer work best when we are alone and focused. Silence facilitates praying because it keeps us from being divided in our concentration. So the first step is to find a place and a time when you can be alone and when the noise of the world can be reduced. Plan for a very short period of time – say 10 minutes – to start with. You can build up to a longer practice as you go along.
Be comfortable. A comfortable chair really facilitates praying. Or you might be someone who finds it more natural to talk to God while walking or biking. When beginning a prayer practice it is important to remove obstacles to your focus on God. Over time your needs in this regard might change.
Come as you are. God already knows you; there are no surprises for God in who and how you are. You don't need to posture or sound eloquent. You also don't need to hide.
Trust. Remember that your job is to turn toward God and open yourself in trust. God's job is all the rest.

Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina is a good way to begin an intentional prayer practice, because it gives us a varied experience. And who knows, maybe it will become your treasured way of praying.

Here's how to do it.

Place. Pick a place that you will regularly use for Lectio. It should be quiet and comfortable, with good lighting and maybe a small table for your writing materials.
Time. Consider when during the day you can regularly practice this prayer. Make sure you have at least half an hour when you will be free of obligations or pressure. Then pick four or five days during the week when you will sit down at the same time to engage in Lectio Divina.
A reading. Choose a passage of scripture, a reflection from a devotional, or any reading that will allow you to reflect about matters of meaning. You can even choose your own writing -- a spiritual autobiography, for instance. The reading should be short, a paragraph or two. Longer passages can be divided up and read over several days.
Begin. Sit for a short time in silence. A minute is good to start with. As you get comfortable with silence, increase the time; silence grounds and focuses us. Let your body relax. Make certain you are comfortable. Put your feet flat on the floor and simply rest. If you have a thought, let it go. This is not the time to pursue feelings or ideas. At the end of this time, silently let God know that your intention is to listen to what God wishes to communicate to you.
Read the passage. Read slowly, twice, pausing for a bit between readings. If you're doing this with your family member, each of you read it once.
Listen for a word from God. As you read, a phrase or even a short sentence will “pop out” at you. Sometimes the tug is strong, sometimes it's the merest hint that you should focus here. If it happens the first time you read the passage through, simply listen in the second reading to be sure this phrase is the one calling to you. If nothing stands out for you in the first reading, or if you get distracted by the details of the reading, listen for the more subtle nudgings when you read the passage through again. Whatever word or passage you choose, trust that this is God's work for you today. And once you have chosen it, stick with it.
Ponder the phrase or sentence. What does it mean to you? What does it make you think of? What do you feel as you consider it? What memories come up? How is God using the phrase to speak to you? What is God saying and asking of you?
Respond. Thank God for God's participation with you in pondering. Then allow your head and heart to lead you in a response. It might be an entry in your journal. It could be a prayer. Maybe you want to chant or draw something. Perhaps you want to make a plan to call a friend, or maybe you are moved to volunteer at the Food Bank or write a check to ERD. Whatever your response, it is a way of expressing what you have taken in and pondered. It is a way of releasing that conversation with God into your life. It is, therefore, prayer.
Be with God in stillness. As whatever prayer or promise you have made comes to an end, simply be with God in stillness. Sit in silence in God's presence. Soak in the goodness of God's grace. Allow yourself to be lost in prayer, lost in God. Rest in the presence of the living Word. And don't worry if nothing noteworthy happens.

Pray As You Go

Prayer doesn’t need to be complicated. Any time you intentionally come into the presence of God, you are praying. Mindfulness, the practice of being fully present in the moment in which you find yourself, is prayer -- especially if you are aware that God inhabits that moment with you. The practice of intentional walking, knitting, cooking, or playing music is prayer. Singing or dancing can be prayer.

Brother Lawrence, a 17th Century kitchen monk, had a way of praying he called practicing the presence of God. Basically he did everything he did for God’s glory, even if it was picking up a stick in the monastery yard. He knew God was with him in all moments, so all he had to do to pray was to turn his attention to God. Over time he found this to be a very peace-generating practice.

Remembering to turn our attention to God is the tricky part of this prayer practice. Many people use external stimuli to help them. The stimulus can be anything: going through a doorway, hearing a car horn, hearing the chiming of a clock.

Today give this practice a try. If you are driving or walking a city street, every time you get to a red light, turn your attention to God. Say “hi,” offer thanks, offer a concern that is on your heart, or just be with God. If you are at home or walking in the country you will have to pick a different cue. Make it something that happens fairly regularly but not all the time.

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a method of meditation used by Christians that places a strong emphasis on resting in God in silence. Information on centering prayer and a way of practicing online can be found at https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/

Praying Together

Worshiping together is an important way of being in prayer. In a Taize service or other contemplative worship, we are drawn deeper into silent resting in God by the quiet of the people around us. In celebrating baptisms, weddings, and funerals, we join with the members of our community in responding to the important threshold moments of their lives. Communion helps us remember that we belong to Christ and that we are “heirs through hope” of God’s eternal kingdom. We feel that belonging is the first step in the Christian faith journey, and you certainly belong in worship with us. For a deeper understanding of Episcopal worship practices, go HERE