Through PRAYER we find meaning, strength, and course for our lives. We turn out to be a lot more and a lot more the type of person we truly wish to be. Here are five points you can do to assist you on the way. Learn how to pray to God
1. Ask God
Getting a individual of prayer is not some thing we accomplish by our own strenuous effort. I am reminded of a story from the desert fathers, early Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian and Palestinian desert, that illustrates this point. A young monk asked the old Master, "How long will it take me to accomplish enlightenment?" The Master replied, "Five years." The young monk asked, "But what if I work really, truly hard?" The Master replied, "Ten years."
Prayer is really a grace God gives us. We must never forget that. But it is a grace God is eager to give. It's also a grace we can make ourselves a lot more likely to receive. We can start by merely asking God for that grace of prayerfulness. Our request require not be long or complicated. Turn to God in your heart and say some thing like this: "Dear God, I really want to know you better. Please help me to become a a lot more prayerful person. If there's anything I can do to help this arrive about, let me know. Amen." It is good to ask God for things. After all, the "Our Father," the prayer Jesus taught us, is in part a list of requests to God. Adding prayerfulness to that list seems really worthwhile to me.
What is prayer?
Below are 10 statements about prayer. As you reflect on them, ask yourself: Do they resonate with my experience? Do I agree with them? Why or why not? You might also want to talk to God about these observations on prayer. Or you could share both this article on prayer and these quotes with a friend or two. Perhaps you belong to a church group with which you might share reactions and responses.
1. "The wish to pray is prayer itself." (Georges Bernanos)
2. "A Bible that's falling apart generally belongs to a individual who isn't." (Anonymous)
3. "Everything that turns a person within the course of God is prayer." (Saint Ignatius of Loyola)
4. "The purpose of prayer is great works, great functions, great functions." (Saint Teresa of Ávila)
5. "It is much better in prayer to have a heart without having words than words without heart." (Mahatma Gandhi)
6. "Never pray in a room without having windows." (From the Talmud)
7. "Prayer is simply being with God and knowing it." (Bishop Kenneth Untener)
8. "We do not pray to become effective. We pray simply because God is God and we are we, and therefore that meeting is the most essential thing in our life." (Jane Ubertino)
9. "Praying is 'wasting' time before God." (Michel Quoist)
10. "Prayer is our humble answer towards the inconceivable surprise of living." (Rabbi Abraham Heschel)
2. Slow lower and notice points
We live in an age characterized by busyness and excessive speed. Consequently, many of us are running around like hyperactive chipmunks! You, too, might discover yourself busy and rushed. Such busyness breeds impatience. Be honest. Do you ever get impatient simply because your microwave or computer is "too slow"? Do you get antsy waiting in check-out lines, at red lights, or when a friend is five minutes late?
Within the 19th century, historians say, when individuals traveled by stagecoach, it was not uncommon for the coach to become two or three days late. The passengers just had to sit close to and wait for that coach to come. Can you imagine people putting up with that these days? No. Today we get frazzled if our airplane-which has just traveled 900 miles in two hours-arrives 20 minutes late!
It is hard to be a prayerful person if we are running close to, multitasking or preoccupied with 101 things that require to get done. One thing we require to do to become prayerful is slow down. Try this: Instead of gobbling down your food, savor each bite. Rather than rushing lower the sidewalk, stroll leisurely. If you have to wait for something or someone, forgo the temptation to fill that time with work. Rather, use those few minutes to become a lot more aware from the world around you and inside of you. Learn how to pray to God
Prayer begins with attentiveness. And attentiveness is some thing we can cultivate. We start by noticing small things: the way the sunlight is streaming through the window, the chirp of a robin in an oak tree, the scent of the soap in our hands, the steady in-and-out of our breathing. Slowing down and getting attentive are vital to prayer, for they improve our likelihood of finding traces of God in our everyday lives.
3. Start to pray
The author E. L. Doctorow once said: "Planning to write is not composing. Talking to people about writing is not writing. Writing is writing." We can say the same point about prayer. Planning to pray isn't praying. Talking to people about prayer isn't praying. Praying is praying. And praying is essentially conversation with God.
I frequently begin my prayer by telling God where I happen to become at this particular time: "God, I'm feeling excellent today. . . . God, I'm exhausted. . . . Jesus, I'm sad and I do not know why. . . . Jesus, I'm sad and I do know why. . . . God, I'm so worried about so-and-so. . . . God, I'm really mad." In prayer, it's often good to begin just where we are and go from there.
An old maxim says, "If you are as well busy to pray, you are as well busy." This implies we should make time for prayer by producing time for it in our day just as we schedule other important activities. We don't wait to discover time for prayer or pray only when we feel like praying. If we did that, we would most likely pray really little. No, if we want to turn out to be prayerful persons, we pray daily.
What time of day works best? Maybe morning is really a good time prior to things get too hectic. Or maybe you prefer a prayer break in the middle of the day, or in the evening when the day is winding down. Whatever time you choose, prayer should be a priority for you-because God is important to you, because you deeply desire a personal relationship with Jesus, simply because you really need God.
I said that prayer is conversation with God. That implies it is a two-way street. During prayer we speak to God, but we also give God the chance to speak to us. So sometimes we use words when we pray; other times we don't. Thomas Merton, a famous Trappist monk, once told a friend to quit trying so tough in prayer. He said, "How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun."
Sister Melannie's favorite prayer resources
Opening to God: A Guide to Prayer by Father Thomas Green, S.J. (©1977, released in 2006 by Ave Maria Press). This practical book draws on classical prayer traditions, producing them accessible towards the reader.
The Song and the Seed: The Monastic Way of Tending the Soul by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B. (© 1995, released in 1997 by HarperSanFrancisco). A guidebook for communion with God, based on Benedictine spirituality.
Living Faith, a publication that comes out four times a year with reflections by a variety of authors on the scripture readings for every day. Check its web site for subscription info: www.livingfaith.com.
www.catholicsoncall.org. For "young adults seeking insight on life, wondering what God has to say about it."
www.sacredspace.ie. A daily, 10-minute guided prayer site produced by the Irish Jesuits.
4. Seek assist
There are numerous wonderful resources out there to assist us with our prayer. Countless books, for example, have been written about prayer. (I know, because I've written a few of them!) Devotional magazines such as Living Faith, Residing with Christ, and Magnificat give short reflections for daily from the year. And do not forget to examine out some from the websites about prayer. Just search "prayer" and see what comes up.
We can get assist with prayer from other people, too. Talking with friends about prayer can be really beneficial. Really praying with them is even better. Joining (or starting) a Bible study group or a spiritual book club has helped numerous people. Some individuals even discover a spiritual director, a person with whom they meet regularly to share their experiences of prayer and everyday residing. Spiritual directors can be priests, sisters, brothers, or lay women and men who are not only experienced in prayer but also have skills for guiding others.
5. Experiment
You can find lots of various methods to pray. Experimenting with various prayer forms can be healthy. Some people love to pray the rosary; other people prefer to read the psalms. Some like to take a scripture passage daily and reflect on it. Other people discover listening to music helpful. Some pray while walking or running; other people like to sit or kneel. You may also want try the Liturgy from the Hours, Centering Prayer, or other forms of meditation. how to pray for others
In our desire to turn out to be a lot more prayerful, it's great to remember, within the final analysis, that prayer is really a implies, not an end in itself. We pray not only simply because we adore prayer. We pray because we love God. And prayer is a single of the chief ways we arrive to know and love God a lot more. Through prayer we find meaning, strength, and course for our lives. We turn out to be a lot more and a lot more the type of individual we really wish to be: a person of love, integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and joy.
1. Ask God
Getting a individual of prayer is not some thing we accomplish by our own strenuous effort. I am reminded of a story from the desert fathers, early Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian and Palestinian desert, that illustrates this point. A young monk asked the old Master, "How long will it take me to accomplish enlightenment?" The Master replied, "Five years." The young monk asked, "But what if I work really, truly hard?" The Master replied, "Ten years."
Prayer is really a grace God gives us. We must never forget that. But it is a grace God is eager to give. It's also a grace we can make ourselves a lot more likely to receive. We can start by merely asking God for that grace of prayerfulness. Our request require not be long or complicated. Turn to God in your heart and say some thing like this: "Dear God, I really want to know you better. Please help me to become a a lot more prayerful person. If there's anything I can do to help this arrive about, let me know. Amen." It is good to ask God for things. After all, the "Our Father," the prayer Jesus taught us, is in part a list of requests to God. Adding prayerfulness to that list seems really worthwhile to me.
What is prayer?
Below are 10 statements about prayer. As you reflect on them, ask yourself: Do they resonate with my experience? Do I agree with them? Why or why not? You might also want to talk to God about these observations on prayer. Or you could share both this article on prayer and these quotes with a friend or two. Perhaps you belong to a church group with which you might share reactions and responses.
1. "The wish to pray is prayer itself." (Georges Bernanos)
2. "A Bible that's falling apart generally belongs to a individual who isn't." (Anonymous)
3. "Everything that turns a person within the course of God is prayer." (Saint Ignatius of Loyola)
4. "The purpose of prayer is great works, great functions, great functions." (Saint Teresa of Ávila)
5. "It is much better in prayer to have a heart without having words than words without heart." (Mahatma Gandhi)
6. "Never pray in a room without having windows." (From the Talmud)
7. "Prayer is simply being with God and knowing it." (Bishop Kenneth Untener)
8. "We do not pray to become effective. We pray simply because God is God and we are we, and therefore that meeting is the most essential thing in our life." (Jane Ubertino)
9. "Praying is 'wasting' time before God." (Michel Quoist)
10. "Prayer is our humble answer towards the inconceivable surprise of living." (Rabbi Abraham Heschel)
2. Slow lower and notice points
We live in an age characterized by busyness and excessive speed. Consequently, many of us are running around like hyperactive chipmunks! You, too, might discover yourself busy and rushed. Such busyness breeds impatience. Be honest. Do you ever get impatient simply because your microwave or computer is "too slow"? Do you get antsy waiting in check-out lines, at red lights, or when a friend is five minutes late?
Within the 19th century, historians say, when individuals traveled by stagecoach, it was not uncommon for the coach to become two or three days late. The passengers just had to sit close to and wait for that coach to come. Can you imagine people putting up with that these days? No. Today we get frazzled if our airplane-which has just traveled 900 miles in two hours-arrives 20 minutes late!
It is hard to be a prayerful person if we are running close to, multitasking or preoccupied with 101 things that require to get done. One thing we require to do to become prayerful is slow down. Try this: Instead of gobbling down your food, savor each bite. Rather than rushing lower the sidewalk, stroll leisurely. If you have to wait for something or someone, forgo the temptation to fill that time with work. Rather, use those few minutes to become a lot more aware from the world around you and inside of you. Learn how to pray to God
Prayer begins with attentiveness. And attentiveness is some thing we can cultivate. We start by noticing small things: the way the sunlight is streaming through the window, the chirp of a robin in an oak tree, the scent of the soap in our hands, the steady in-and-out of our breathing. Slowing down and getting attentive are vital to prayer, for they improve our likelihood of finding traces of God in our everyday lives.
3. Start to pray
The author E. L. Doctorow once said: "Planning to write is not composing. Talking to people about writing is not writing. Writing is writing." We can say the same point about prayer. Planning to pray isn't praying. Talking to people about prayer isn't praying. Praying is praying. And praying is essentially conversation with God.
I frequently begin my prayer by telling God where I happen to become at this particular time: "God, I'm feeling excellent today. . . . God, I'm exhausted. . . . Jesus, I'm sad and I do not know why. . . . Jesus, I'm sad and I do know why. . . . God, I'm so worried about so-and-so. . . . God, I'm really mad." In prayer, it's often good to begin just where we are and go from there.
An old maxim says, "If you are as well busy to pray, you are as well busy." This implies we should make time for prayer by producing time for it in our day just as we schedule other important activities. We don't wait to discover time for prayer or pray only when we feel like praying. If we did that, we would most likely pray really little. No, if we want to turn out to be prayerful persons, we pray daily.
What time of day works best? Maybe morning is really a good time prior to things get too hectic. Or maybe you prefer a prayer break in the middle of the day, or in the evening when the day is winding down. Whatever time you choose, prayer should be a priority for you-because God is important to you, because you deeply desire a personal relationship with Jesus, simply because you really need God.
I said that prayer is conversation with God. That implies it is a two-way street. During prayer we speak to God, but we also give God the chance to speak to us. So sometimes we use words when we pray; other times we don't. Thomas Merton, a famous Trappist monk, once told a friend to quit trying so tough in prayer. He said, "How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun."
Sister Melannie's favorite prayer resources
Opening to God: A Guide to Prayer by Father Thomas Green, S.J. (©1977, released in 2006 by Ave Maria Press). This practical book draws on classical prayer traditions, producing them accessible towards the reader.
The Song and the Seed: The Monastic Way of Tending the Soul by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B. (© 1995, released in 1997 by HarperSanFrancisco). A guidebook for communion with God, based on Benedictine spirituality.
Living Faith, a publication that comes out four times a year with reflections by a variety of authors on the scripture readings for every day. Check its web site for subscription info: www.livingfaith.com.
www.catholicsoncall.org. For "young adults seeking insight on life, wondering what God has to say about it."
www.sacredspace.ie. A daily, 10-minute guided prayer site produced by the Irish Jesuits.
4. Seek assist
There are numerous wonderful resources out there to assist us with our prayer. Countless books, for example, have been written about prayer. (I know, because I've written a few of them!) Devotional magazines such as Living Faith, Residing with Christ, and Magnificat give short reflections for daily from the year. And do not forget to examine out some from the websites about prayer. Just search "prayer" and see what comes up.
We can get assist with prayer from other people, too. Talking with friends about prayer can be really beneficial. Really praying with them is even better. Joining (or starting) a Bible study group or a spiritual book club has helped numerous people. Some individuals even discover a spiritual director, a person with whom they meet regularly to share their experiences of prayer and everyday residing. Spiritual directors can be priests, sisters, brothers, or lay women and men who are not only experienced in prayer but also have skills for guiding others.
5. Experiment
You can find lots of various methods to pray. Experimenting with various prayer forms can be healthy. Some people love to pray the rosary; other people prefer to read the psalms. Some like to take a scripture passage daily and reflect on it. Other people discover listening to music helpful. Some pray while walking or running; other people like to sit or kneel. You may also want try the Liturgy from the Hours, Centering Prayer, or other forms of meditation. how to pray for others
In our desire to turn out to be a lot more prayerful, it's great to remember, within the final analysis, that prayer is really a implies, not an end in itself. We pray not only simply because we adore prayer. We pray because we love God. And prayer is a single of the chief ways we arrive to know and love God a lot more. Through prayer we find meaning, strength, and course for our lives. We turn out to be a lot more and a lot more the type of individual we really wish to be: a person of love, integrity, compassion, forgiveness, and joy.