A few thoughts on Prayer,
At its simplest level, prayer is just like a child having a conversation with their father. It’s something so completely natural that children don’t even think about it when they hop up on their dad’s knee to talk. There is no fear, just mutual trust, and love, just like each of us has experienced with our parents or children. We know that we can tell God or ask him for anything. When we understand prayer in this way, then we see that when boiled down to its purest state, its essence, prayer is simply a conversation with our Heavenly Father.
In that relationship of love and trust, like the child, we can tell God all the things that we’ve been doing, the good, not-so-good, and even the bad. We can tell him about the things that worry us and stop us from getting a good night’s sleep. When we spend time in prayer, we unburden ourselves, leaving our troubles at his feet, as we seek His help and guidance. It’s also a time when we get the chance to ask for the things that we need to sustain us.
Through prayer, we withdraw from the busyness of life and daily routines. When we do this, we give our full attention to God as we enter into a two-way spiritual relationship, where we talk with, and listen to Him in return.
Even when we pray alone, we are never really alone but are united with Christians around the world who are likewise praying to our Father. Prayer brings us in touch with God and others. As Christians, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we pray, we tell God everything that is on our hearts, every problem or blessing, and God uses our prayers to bring about His will of love and justice into the world.
There is no ‘hidden secret’ when it comes to prayer. God is always with us and always ready to listen.
There are many ways for us to pray, we can pray as we commute, we can pray silently, speak, or even sing our prayers. We can listen to others pray and say “amen” at the end. We can let God know how we are feeling; even Jesus did this when he cried out on the cross “my God my God, why have you forsaken me?” We can go to a quiet place, like a church or somewhere where we feel that we are closer to God, some call them “thin places”. Or alternatively, we can just sit quietly, emptying our minds of thoughts and ideas as we draw close to God. Theologians describe prayer life in two different forms or mystical traditions.
Firstly, there are “Apophatic” prayers.
By definition “apophatic” is an adjective that relates to the belief that God can only be known to humans in terms of what He is not, such as “God is unknowable” “God is not finite” or “God is not a physical being”
The rubric or explicit set of criteria for apophatic prayer can be something like, eyes shut, palms together, bowing our head, quietening/emptying our minds, and let’s pray.
Apophatic prayer has no content, as the person praying in this manner tries to achieve emptiness. The belief is, that as creatures, our very act of thinking, distracts us from our Creator. By praying in this manner, we acknowledge that God is bigger than our knowing and greater than our capacity to describe. Apophatic prayer rests on pure experience. So, we try to empty our minds of words, thoughts, and ideas, and simply rest in God’s presence with us.
Sometimes at night when we fall asleep during prayer, we can achieve this state of emptiness almost accidentally, and in those few moments, before deep sleep overcomes us, we hear God as he speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, there is “Cataphatic” prayer:
The rubric here is praying with our eyes open, hands raised out in front, and heads tilted towards the heavens. This type of prayer often uses icons, symbols, rituals, and incense for those from orthodox backgrounds.
For many being part of God’s creation is a way to draw closer to our Creator, therefore a walk in the woods, or along the beach in the quiet of the early morning or evening helps to experience God by basking in the beauty of His creation.
Cataphatic prayer is content based, it builds on the positive assertions that we make about God, the things that God is, such as “God is love” rather than what he isn’t.
It uses words, images, symbols, and ideas to approach God. We take pieces of what we believe to be true and offer supplication based on those ideas and thoughts
But overall, the two mystical traditions are infused together as the prayers we use are often determined by the circumstances we find ourselves in at the time. Just like there are no bad prayers, there are no wrong ways to pray either, As all any of us are seeking to do, is enter into conversation with our Father.
David reminds us in Psalm 139:2-10 that God knows us completely, he knows everything about us.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
So, we can take comfort in the knowledge that when we’re struggling to find the right words to pray, just draw close to Him, for he is waiting for us to hop up onto his knee and surround us with His love. Because he already knows our needs.
Have a great day, and God bless,
Trev.