Prayer: God Moves Us

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Tuesday, February 26, 2019

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Prayer: God Moves Us

Prayer can be so intimate, so up-close-and-personal.

So many accounts of times when people felt utterly awestruck, as with M. while he read John 10, where Jesus talks about Himself as the Good Shepherd. “It was a beautiful time of prayer, an intimate time. There was so much in the words; it’s so beautifully written. I wasn’t reading words; it was alive, almost directly touching my heart.” [1]

I read about these times of prayer, and I feel uplifted, just reading these words. And then—at the same time, I feel so sad. Sad, and almost resentful. Why can’t I have these types of experiences on a regular basis? I do have similar experiences, but rarely. Why has my prayer life been dry and parched, like wandering in the wilderness, for decades? (Yes, for literal decades.)

The idea of letting the words of Scripture swim in one’s heart is certainly an imaginative one. Being immersed in the words of the Bible—so much so that I feel all filled to the brim with these life-giving words—what an image for my sometimes overactive imagination.

I would think this feature of our brains really causes Ignatian prayer and meditation to bear a great deal of fruit. How wonderful to be an imaginative pray-er. I do not think that access to prayer (speaking to God) and meditation (listening to God) are both required for our communication with our Heavenly Parent, but I suspect it helps.

But…what if the usual ways of praying don’t really work for some people? What would it be like to never have a close relationship with God from prayer? I am assuming some people have real difficulty in this. I truly do not know what I would suggest, other than the different more kinetic ways of prayer. I know it is possible to do Ignatian prayer and walk the labyrinth at the same time. (I’ve done both—at the same time.) But, other than kinesthetic praying, I do not know what to suggest to these friends. I guess I need to learn more about prayer styles, and refresh my memory with suggestions of diverse ways of communication with God.

We ought to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for this opportunity to find hope. Hope in our dear Lord Jesus. Dear Lord, thanks for giving us a number of ways to communicate with You. Help each one praying find a way of prayer-communication that each one feels touched now. Dear Lord, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my companion blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

[1] Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Praying with Scripture, Timothy M. Gallagher, OVM (United States of America: Crossroad Publishing, 2008), 24.

I Live in an Earthly Tent. Boy, am I Aware of That!

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, April 15, 2015

I Live in an Earthly Tent. Boy, am I Aware of That!

The analogy of an earthly tent, from 2 Corinthians 5? I have come to relate to it, so much!

I’ve felt an affinity for this analogy for as long as I could remember. Looking forward to having the earthly tent destroyed, since I have a heavenly home waiting for me? Some health crises in my family and in my personal life have impacted me, over the years.

These words of scripture hit home, in a significant way.

Yes, the verses from the beginning of the chapter of 2 Corinthians 5 were on the docket today, in the liturgical lectionary scripture reading.

The frailty of this human body came home to me today, as I had (and still have) a bout of the flu. Talk about being laid low! Yesterday, I was running, doing, traveling around the Chicago area. All cylinders were firing, and I felt on top of the world. Today, starting in mid-morning and just getting worse and worse as the day continued, I ended up feeling bloody awful. Talk about being flattened by a random virus.

After intermittently sleeping and tossing and turning for some eight hours, I woke up. Feeling a bit more steady and stable, I gingerly got up. And now, here I am. Documenting this awful situation. I know, it isn’t one tenth as bad as some people’s continuing situations. But, it certainly felt that way for me, for a while.

I do need to thank some faithful friends who were, and are still, praying for me. Flat on my back, mid-afternoon, I was able to call a senior friend whose number was handy—in my cell phone. (I certainly was not going to be able to get up and find a number!) She in turn called several others, and I feel so much better now. Still only tentative and wobbly, but at least I can sit up! And string sentences together in a halfway cogent manner.

Let’s pray, and come to God. Dear Lord, gracious God, I thank You so much for my health. Currently, generally good, and I am trying to keep it that way. Dear God, thank You for many people’s prayers on my behalf. I appreciate each prayer, and each pray-er! Lord, I earnestly send back prayers and gentle thoughts to each one praying for me. That’s the power of prayer, and mutuality, and positive connection. Lord, help me to continue to model this, as well as to continue to have a close relationship with You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And read #40acts sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .