Envisioning the Father in Prayer

[scapularkid8]

This problem is hurting my prayer life. When I pray to the Father, I can’t “pick” how to picture Him in my mind’s eye. When I just relax and pray without thinking about it, I can just ‘feel’ the Father and I know He is there and He hears me, but then I think “That’s kind-of a new agey feel that I don’t like.” and so I try picturing Him as an old man. Then I think “No, the Father is more than confined to a human likeness.” and then I get confused and stuck in between ‘feeling’ and ‘seeing’ and it ruins my prayer experience. I think the evil one might have something to do with this.

 

[water]

This problem is hurting my prayer life. When I pray to the Father, I can’t “pick” how to picture Him in my mind’s eye. When I just relax and pray without thinking about it, I can just ‘feel’ the Father and I know He is there and He hears me, but then I think “That’s kind-of a new agey feel that I don’t like.” and so I try picturing Him as an old man. Then I think “No, the Father is more than confined to a human likeness.” and then I get confused and stuck in between ‘feeling’ and ‘seeing’ and it ruins my prayer experience. I think the evil one might have something to do with this.

I don’t know what the Father looks like but I do know what Jesus looks like. When I pray, if I need to think of His image, this is the one that I think of. In fact, a friend of mine gave me a statue that looks like this one:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[LilyM]

I don’t know what the Father looks like but I do know what Jesus looks like. When I pray, if I need to think of His image, this is the one that I think of. In fact, a friend of mine gave me a statue that looks like this one:

http://www.heartnsoul.com/Jesus_praying.gif

Jesus said ‘who sees me sees the Father’, so I think it’s fine to picture Jesus.

Not that I think there’s anything wrong at all with not having a physical image of the Father in mind either.

 

[Spirithound]

…but then I think “That’s kind-of a new agey feel that I don’t like.”

It may be new-agey-feeling, but remember, we were around before they were. I encourage you to continue to “feel” the Father. You also might like to picture a dove, or tongues of fire for the Holy Spirit.

 

[scapularkid8]

It may be new-agey-feeling, but remember, we were around before they were. I encourage you to continue to “feel” the Father. You also might like to picture a dove, or tongues of fire for the Holy Spirit.

Okay. Good point. I guess the Israelites had that concept of God since He traveled with them in the Ark of the Covenant. He was abstract and they just had to pray and ‘go with the flow’ so-to-speak. The funny thing is, I can pray to the Spirit just fine, I can ‘feel’ and ‘see’ Him. It’s just the Father I have troubles with.

 

[water]

Imagining while praying is good; however, do not worry too much about it - be more focusing on what you are praying for.