With the smooth bead between her thumb and finger tip, she says the prayer quietly, without trying “Glory be to the…” while thinking of that person she holds in her prayers at that moment. She prays the rosary. We pray those memorized prayers we were taught as children and those we have learned more recently. We pray “Dear God how can you let this happen to me.” We pray “Thank you God for ….”. We pray often and many times infrequently.
The forms of prayer are as varied as the religions of this world. Prayer is defined in several ways the most known is – An expression of thoughts, hopes or needs directed to a deity. My favorite definition is: the slightest chance or hope, as for survival. Most simply put we pray to talk to God, to ask for help, healing, rewards, needs and for hope. We pray to help us to become closer to God and to center us in our lives and to remind us that we are not fully in control of our destiny.
How we pray doesn’t matter as much as the fact that we do pray. When you pray you are recognizing that God is greater than you, that you need help, that you believe in Him and you want to have Him in your life. God already knows us; He created us. God gives us freewill we can walk away from Him, neglect Him, ignore Him or even curse and disown Him and He will let us do it. He gives us the ability to make the choice to choose Him or not. I think God did this so we can fully learn unconditional love; for no matter how much we resist and deny Him He never stops loving us. He wants us to come to Him but like a wise parent He never pushes us. He simply waits and continues to love us. He gave us freewill so that if we do choose Him we do it out of love and not obligation but because we have come to a decision and not been forced into one.
So pray the rosary, the Our Father, the Glory Be. Pray with a meek and humble voice. Pray to Him with praise for His blessings. Pray to Him and beg Him for His mercy. Pray to Him in song and shouts of joy. Pray to Him in the silence of the breaking dawn and in the dusk of the sinking sunset. Pray to Him like you are talking to a friend whom you have loved deeper than anyone else in your life. Pray to Him by talking to Him every day about your life, hopes, plans, disappointments, worries, health, children, family, job and friends. Pray however you feel most comfortable. Pray to Him anytime, anywhere throughout your life. It doesn’t matter how you do it, where you do it or how you say it just simply pray.
I read the subject line “PRAY”
and my first thought was “Good Advice”
As a true control freak, in a world where I have so little control, I have learned (and will, I am sure, continue to re-learn) that prayer helps me to place control where it belongs – with God.
My son is a senior picking a college… I pray “Dear Lord… help him make good choices” and “help me to be a good example to him”. My daughter is enjoying her 8th grade year and beginning the transition to high school… and I pray that she can “follow her own heart and achieve her own dreams.”
I think of my mother, I pray in thanks giving for her health and her independence… and I hope that God will bless me likewise.
A friend gave me one of those daily reflection calendars for Christmas. I took it to work and it reminds me to pray and to think of my friends every morning when I get to work… and it is amazing how much more positive I am starting my day this way.
I know so many people in need of prayer and I find myself saying out loud “I will add you to my prayer list” and there is something about speaking those words to someone in need that seals it in my heart and makes it easy to do…
Thanks for the good advice… “Dear Lord, Please bless all who read Lori’s blog today, know the unspoken needs of their hearts, and answer them. Amen”