What Prayer Is

In November of 2011, when I decided that I was going to become a saint, and started doing the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, I realized that much of what I thought prayer was, was actually pretty limited and often self-serving. I also found that the models, methods, and even the metaphors for prayer were no longer working for me -- even the long-standing idea that prayer is just a conversation between me and God.

This conversation ideas was novel when I first heard it in seminary. After growing up in the context that prayer, when it was done, was always done in a fairly formal, often ritualistic manner that separated it from the rest of life, it was novel and freeing to re-envision prayer simply as a conversation. It became less formal, less ritualistic, and something I could integrate into my life. But this was no longer working for my by November of 2011, although, I do not think I realized it yet.

While working on the Spiritual Exercises, I began to realize that many of my conversations were frustrating. I often found myself in conversations with people, such as I.T. Support, that often left me feeling angry and unheard. I realized that prayer as a conversation often left me feeling the same way.

So the new model and metaphor I adopted was that prayer is simply cultivating a friendship with God. Friendship with God grows the same way any other friendship grows -- by spending time together. Sometimes there is talking, sometimes there is listening, sometimes there is just being. All of this is friendship, and all of this is prayer.

After a few months, however, that was becoming limited. Saint Ignatius taught me that God is in the midst of all things, so no matter where I was, God was there. I began to realize through the Spiritual Exercises that prayer is simply being intentionally present with God. God is always here, and God is always present, but I am not always present with God. So I have to take time and make myself aware of God's presence by being intentionally present with God.

That carried me through until this morning, when I realized what I already knew -- that prayer is something internal as well as being present. The God who is in the midst of all things, is in the midst of me; therefore, when I am taking the time to be intentionally present with God, I am stilling myself and taking the time to be within myself, finding the still center within which is inhabited by God. Yet, I do not leave God in there but I bring God out with me when I come back out.

So all that was to say that prayer for me is now taking the time to retreat within myself to be intentionally present with God, and then inviting God and bring God back out with me, and letting Him be a part of my whole life -- so that God can make my life whole.

Or something like that...

Reviews

[SquinklaPsyOps]

With all the respect and for educational purposes.

From the line "While working on the Spiritual Exercises, I began to realize that many of my conversations were frustrating. I often found myself in conversations with people, such as I.T. Support, that often left me feeling angry and unheard. I realized that prayer as a conversation often left me feeling the same way."

The character in the poem gets frustrated because there is no prayer that could be said that would fix a computer, and when the tunnel of intelligence is open to where we expect other people to solve our technical difficulties technical support are not mind readers and don't respond the way our subconcious expects them to.

The best thing to do is to separate what is man made such as technology from when talking to God through prayers that no technology will ever obstruct God from raising the sun every morning..

[Emily B]

perfect words for today, yes I think so