What do you remember about being taught to pray?
Do you remember any time or teaching where prayer was presented as a “conversation” or a “relationship” or a “listening” to God?
Perhaps we did hear about prayer being a conversation or a two-way street, but when we pray we often keep up a banter with words like “thank you,” “bless,” “guide,” may I,” “please would you,” “Dear Lord” and so on. Imagine God on the other side of this “conversation” thinking, “When can I get a word in edgewise?!” If we do all the talking, how can it be prayer that is a conversation or a listening?
Prayer is not “words” or only words; it is a relationship. It is opening up to not only sharing our concerns and pain, but being able to receive insights, nudges, or even inspirations. Perhaps our prayer life is like our everyday life in the sense that we usually aren’t good listeners. In a conversation or discussion, we are waiting our turn to add something or eager to jump in and say what is on our mind. We don’t let silence into our conversations. Of if there is a silence, it may feel uncomfortable. We may scan our brain to find something to say or contribute. Instead of listening to others, we are listening to ourselves.
In contemplative prayer, how is silence experienced?
According to experts, it takes 10-12 minutes before the body and mind slow down from their busyness to be open and attentive to others or to God. When we do any of the contemplative prayer forms or exercises, we incorporate at least 10 minutes of silence each time, followed by about 5 minutes for journal writing and personal reflection.
Silence is not “emptiness,” usually a fearful image for people. It is the completion of sound – an opening of one’s consciousness to what’s at the center of all sound – a loving Creator who is waiting for us to sense the presence of the Holy in our lives. When we are in an open and silent attitude, we anticipate the indwelling of God’s spirit in our whole self – body, mind and spirit. God says to us as he said to the prophet Ezekiel, “Be still and know that I am God.” The great mystic, Meister Eckhart said, “Silence is a privileged entry into the light of God and eternal life.”
Some Contemplative Grounding Assumptions
I was invited to a prayer meeting where for over two hours, there were very little pauses, and rapidly spoken aloud prayers mainly by the prayer leader, and it kind of made me dizzy and stressed to hear and understand every word she was saying so quickly… seemed to be praying for this or that, healing this or that, providing us with …. I am thankful that God led me to read your thoughts on prayers and praying.