Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.
Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and asking God to speak to you in this passage. Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.
A Reading from the Book of Psalms [31:5]
Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
A Prayer of Presence
Today I invite you to practice a prayer of communion rather than conversation. It is the prayer of presence, simply being in God’s presence. This is both very simple and very difficult. It is simple because there is really nothing to do except to be. It is difficult because there is nothing to DO! We humans do not seem to be built very well for simply being. We want to know what to do and how to do it.
Here is an excerpt from Marjorie Thompson’s book Soul Feast:
A simple gaze toward One who loves us unshakably--this is contemplative prayer. It is absorption in loving God with our whole being--not strenuously, but as a spontaneous response of the heart. Contemplative prayer is resting in God, allowing the Spirit to fill and move us as God wills. It is pure receptivity and adoration. It is quiet, tender, and sober, or playful, gentle, and joyous.
The late Russian Orthodox archbishop Anthony Bloom tells of an eighteenth-century priest who once asked an aged peasant what he was doing during the hours and hours he spent sitting in the chapel. The old man replied, “I look at Him, He looks at me, and we are happy.”
Can it really be that simple? The answer is yes. And it may even be quite enjoyable.
If you are able, set a timer for whatever period of time you wish. I would suggest at least 10 minutes.
Sit in a comfortable position. It’s best to be in a chair in which you feel very supported and with your feet flat on the floor.
Take a few deep breaths and with the last out breath feel your mind and body relax. Let all of the tension, thoughts and worries in your mind and body go. Simply release them.
Now remind yourself that God is present. Place yourself in God’s presence. It may help you to imagine God as a person or being or as Spirit that fills the space around you. You might prefer to think of Jesus in his bodily form and imagine him being in the room with you. Know that God or Jesus are completely loving and accepting of you. There is no judgment. There is no fear. Only love and complete acceptance. Now simply rest into that love. Accept the gift of God’s love and presence.
As you attempt to rest, your mind will be busy and distractions will come. Very gently, simply release them and return to resting in the presence of God.
When your time is finished, end your prayer time by thanking God for any gifts that you might have received from this time together.
Write in your journal about what this experience was like for you. Is it something you would like to experience again? Can you imagine praying like this on a regular basis?
Today I invite you to practice a prayer of communion rather than conversation. It is the prayer of presence, simply being in God’s presence. This is both very simple and very difficult. It is simple because there is really nothing to do except to be. It is difficult because there is nothing to DO! We humans do not seem to be built very well for simply being. We want to know what to do and how to do it.
Here is an excerpt from Marjorie Thompson’s book Soul Feast:
A simple gaze toward One who loves us unshakably--this is contemplative prayer. It is absorption in loving God with our whole being--not strenuously, but as a spontaneous response of the heart. Contemplative prayer is resting in God, allowing the Spirit to fill and move us as God wills. It is pure receptivity and adoration. It is quiet, tender, and sober, or playful, gentle, and joyous.
The late Russian Orthodox archbishop Anthony Bloom tells of an eighteenth-century priest who once asked an aged peasant what he was doing during the hours and hours he spent sitting in the chapel. The old man replied, “I look at Him, He looks at me, and we are happy.”
Can it really be that simple? The answer is yes. And it may even be quite enjoyable.
If you are able, set a timer for whatever period of time you wish. I would suggest at least 10 minutes.
Sit in a comfortable position. It’s best to be in a chair in which you feel very supported and with your feet flat on the floor.
Take a few deep breaths and with the last out breath feel your mind and body relax. Let all of the tension, thoughts and worries in your mind and body go. Simply release them.
Now remind yourself that God is present. Place yourself in God’s presence. It may help you to imagine God as a person or being or as Spirit that fills the space around you. You might prefer to think of Jesus in his bodily form and imagine him being in the room with you. Know that God or Jesus are completely loving and accepting of you. There is no judgment. There is no fear. Only love and complete acceptance. Now simply rest into that love. Accept the gift of God’s love and presence.
As you attempt to rest, your mind will be busy and distractions will come. Very gently, simply release them and return to resting in the presence of God.
When your time is finished, end your prayer time by thanking God for any gifts that you might have received from this time together.
Write in your journal about what this experience was like for you. Is it something you would like to experience again? Can you imagine praying like this on a regular basis?
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