This experience comes from my Life Lessons folder. I must admit that there have been times when I have been sitting in church, saying the Apostles’ Creed or the Lord’s Prayer – and going over my grocery list in my mind, preparing for my shopping trip on the way home. How could I let that happen? Had those words become so routine that I no longer paid attention to what I was saying? The following event helped me realize the difference between saying a prayer and praying a prayer.
A number of years ago, I was in a discussion group that was sharing their thoughts on prayer. Some people said they used prayer when they were in trouble or when a family member was ill. Others said they used familiar prayers like the “Lord’s Prayer” or “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” when they were a child. While we couldn’t explain how prayer “worked,” everyone felt like they were “communicating with God.”
I looked up the definition of communicate in my online dictionary. One interpretation was: to be joined or connected: “The rooms communicated by means of a hallway.” I stopped to think, “Do I really feel connected to Spirit when I pray?”… Or am I just reciting a prayer, the way I can recite the alphabet? …
Reading a prayer out loud when I am praying with a spiritual community can be very inspiring and powerful. But if the words on the page are just going in through my eyes and out through my mouth, I am not “communicating.” I need those words to go through the part of my brain that specializes in awareness of what I am saying.
When I am praying alone, I do not have to use special words in a special place. Often it is just a friendly conversation, like when I sit on my patio thanking God for the peaceful beauty around me. I try to not always be asking for “things”, expecting God to be my “celestial vending machine.” I trust I will always have what I need – when I need it. I find it easy to express my gratitude for all the blessings I already have. When there are challenges or times of despair, I ask for inner strength and guidance, knowing “this problem too shall pass.” And because I know that “communicating” is a two-way street, I make sure to listen for answers.
The power of prayer enriches my life in so many ways. I was reminded of a blog post I received from my friend, Ardis Mayo, https://thereflectivepen.com who wrote “There is a GPS inside each of us, telling us where to turn and when to stop. Your GPS may have different names or accents. Some may call it God or the Universe. Some people call it Conscience.” I replied that my GPS stands for “God’s Prayer Service,” - always ready to help, whenever and wherever I am. This GPS is never off-line. I am granted a life-long membership and there is no monthly fee. 😊 It is available 24/7- no matter my location or situation. It provides compassionate counseling, miraculous healing services, and excellent directions for life. When I quiet my thoughts to eliminate all the worldly static, I can hear those messages very clearly. I just need to remember to listen. “Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
If the only prayer you say every day in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart
When we open up to the Divine Flow – however you name that energy – words, prayers, blessings, ideas, come to us, through us and perhaps from deep within us. It is a gift. Allow it. Be moved by it. Be surprised, touched, transformed by it. Rabbi Alicia Magal International New Thought Alliance INTA
Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day. Joyce Meyer, author, poet, speaker
https://bette.substack.com/welcome
Credits: https:thereflectivepen.com/ by Ardis Mayo,
Illustrations from Google Images, Sunset Photo by Bette Ryan
Love the inner GPS analogy!