WEEK TWO: Sinking in
Lord, teach us to pray (Lk. 11:2)
If the disciples can ask this of Jesus, we can as well.
Read this scripture several times and let it sink in. Prayer is between you and God. It is a personal response to God's presence. We never have to ask to come into God's presence, as God is waiting for you wherever you are.
Again, good prayer is accomplished through a process, and you can create your own process. The following ways lead you into different kind of prayer.
Choose your pattern of prayer
1. Prepare yourself
2. Set aside a particular length of time just for you and God.
3. Review previous conversations with God. Journal your prayer and what God is saying in response.
Consider different forms of solitary prayer:
Meditation: Read scripture slowly
Stay with scripture
Repeat scripture
Meditative reading: Similar to above, but may be of other works of your choice.
Contemplation: Step into the scripture story.
Whose role have you assumed?
Watch, listen, examine, touch
Centering: Bypass thought, images, senses, logic
Where, within you is God working
Mantra or prayer word: your choice
Journaling: See your emotions, your conversation on the page.
Repetition - return to previous prayer experiences to see growth or further interpretation.
Actual spiritual practices and a few additional helps
Examen of Consciousness (God, you examine me and know me . . . Ps. 139.1)
Faith-Sharing: (Where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them" Mt. 18-20).
Using Imagination in prayer: Ask the question, 'what if' and work through the answer. Use images to develop and interpret multiple layers of meaning.
Distractions and ways to win over them
Taking Psalm 139: 1-18 for today's reading, try one or more of the forms of prayer as shown above.
"Lord, teach me to pray. Help me name the grace for which I yearn."
