Dear Friend in Christ:
I was thinking about Prayer today and I thought: what is prayer anyway? Prayer is a lot of things and can take many forms. Thoughts are prayers. Words are prayers. How about feelings? Emotions? I think prayer is any communication with God. Maybe “God” is a loaded word for you. You may think in entirely different terms. When I finished Divinity School, I thought of God simply as “all that there is”.
In any case, Prayer is not just “saying prayers” I don’t think. It’s opening our hearts and minds to the ultimate mystery, and then dwelling there for a time.
Carl McColman, a modern day Mystic, says the following about types of Prayer:
Thanksgiving — expressing gratitude for life’s blessings;
Adoration — expressing love for the mysterious one who is the source of all love;
Confession — acknowledging our mistakes and failings, not to grovel but to seek forgiveness and to affirm a commitment to do better; [Yeah, well, “Confession” I might quibble with. That’s so Catholic! At the Grange we always called it “Reconciliation”. It’s more acknowledging my shortcomings and asking for the inspiration to grow out of them to me.]
Intercession — praying on behalf of the needs of someone else; and
Petition — expressing our own needs, wants or desires.
If you benefit from a track to run on, those 5 types of Prayer, adapted to your needs, may help.
For me Prayer, as I said, is any communication with the mystery of “all that there is”. Thinking of God is prayer for me. Wondering about God is Prayer. Asking why is Prayer. Even demanding “what’s up with that?” Is Prayer.
So let’s talk to God. Even if it’s anger. God can take it. I believe God accepts us just as we are, and loves us that way. Can we say the same thing about ourselves? Because if we can, Prayer is more a manifestation of our unity with the Holy.
Your Brother in Christ,
Peter