How do you pray?

[Reuben_J]

When you breathe in, see if it sounds like Yah, when you breathe out, see if it sounds like weh.

A minister said that every time we breathe, it is the word of God - Yahweh

That is a great way of putting it.

As Christians, prayer is perhaps the only thing that really put us into communion with God. It is where God can be with and in us. And if God is in us, how could we not changed to be like him? Do you think a person is changed by prayers? Would you know a person is a very prayerful person by the way he talks?

 

[Reuben_J]

Do you pray? Yes

**Are you a prayerful person? If yes, why; and if no, why not?**I believe so. I believe prayer is a wonderful way to speak to God as well as LISTEN.

Hi aidanbradypop. I like the part that we are listening to God. I think when you arrive at this level in prayer, I know that you are indeed a prayerful person. More often it is we are talking to God in prayer; we ask, we extol and praise him, but listening? Sometimes it is hard to hear God’s voice especially if our lives is being distracted by the noise of the world. What do you think the praise – ‘be still and know that I am God?’

How do you pray? With my eyes closed

We cradle Catholics do not know this concept in praying. LOL. When I was a kid, a very enthusiastic teacher in the school, he was a Methodist, used to organize a prayer gathering. I thought it was a particularly Protestants thing to pray with your eyes closed. It was so funny then. We did not close our eyes. Our priests never did. When I was renewed in the Charismatic Renewal, prayer began to be very personal and we naturally closed our eyes. I was a young man then and how we laughed at our priest who opened his eyes wide, as usual, when praying the Lord ’s Prayer. He was a jovial fella; we loved him and thought maybe we could evangelize him to pray ‘properly’, with the eyes closed. He was quite elderly – and did not want to learn.

How long is your prayer time? Is it done regularly? Do you have a fixed time for it? It all depends on the issues I have. I do may daily prayers and also we pray before every meal and then we pray before we go to bed.

I think this is what most of us do – the minimal. I find it is always a struggle to keep up with a disciplined prayer time but it is very rewarding when achieved.

Do you have a prayer room in your house? We gather around the coffee table for our prayers before bedtime but other than that…just depends on what room I am in as to where I say a prayer. No certain room.

I thought Susanna Wesley, John Wesley’s mother, the founder of the Methodist Church, who said there could never be a prayer room in their house and that she had to pray anywhere anytime when she could find the time to; and yet she was a great woman of prayer. She and her husband Samuel, an Anglican priest, had 19 children! It was a tremendous feat to raise the children (she home schooled them). Especially in the early eighteen century.

Besides personal prayer, do you pray corporately? Do you count church going as personal prayer? I pray with others often.

What is prayer to you? Prayer is a way to talk and listen to God. Prayer plays a major part in my life and the lives of my wife and boys.

I think the most wonderful legacy that we can give to the children is a life of prayer. When they see their parents do it, it will become something natural in their own lives and it is up to them to nurture it.

What type of prayers do you often do? Personal prayers between God and I and also the Lords Prayer. I do not pray to saints but I do ask for their prayers in general.

This is what I often notice of people who pray – that petition prayer become only a part of their prayers. While we do ask for intercession, very often other types of prayer are equally upduilding.

God bless.

 

[Reuben_J]

Prayer is wonderful. It can also be mixed for me. Sometimes I get a great urge to pray, others I feel that I don’t want to pray even though I do. I think that perseverance is very important in prayer life. When one is feeling down and with no inspiration then that is the time to push through and continue in prayers.

I pray morning and evening prayer (Divine Office) Morning and evening Office for the dead. Various prayers during the day said in house, car, church. I do try to say the rosary as often as possible. Several times a week.

I would love to be better at praying. To be more sincere. I hate to rattle off prayers without thinking about what is being said.

Thanks for a candid post. I mean about perseverance in prayer. I am glad to hear this because to me it is not always easy to keep up with prayer time but perseverance will save the day.

Again we can never appreciate enough the Catholic prayer treasure, in this case the Divine office, where we can pray this gift and have an intimate time with God that it is like going for a retreat.

God bless.

 

[Reuben_J]

The word ‘dhikr’ means ‘rememberance’ (i.e. rememberance of God). It can be done in private or in a congregation. I suppose it can be compared to singing a hymn when it’s done in a congregation. There’s something muslims recite in the morning of Eid al Fitr which is sort of like a hymn. Here’s an example: youtube.com/watch?v=f-90LsJPU1A

You can just do silent dhikr if you want, though. Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] reccomended saying [aloud or silently] ‘Subhanallah wa bi hamdihi’, which means ‘Glory to God and Praise be to Him’ 100 times a day. It’s considered meritorious to remember Allah by reciting praises to Him or just by remembering Him in one’s heart (that’s what dhikr is, basically).

Thanks drac. It helps.

It is really wonderful to be able to pray/say, ‘Glory to God and Praise be to Him’. Christians do have this type of prayer too. We are exhorted to give thanksgiving to God, to give him glory and to praise him. In a Catholic mass, we set aside one part (the Gloria) where we give glory and praise to God.

God bless.

 

[aidanbradypop]

Hi aidanbradypop. I like the part that we are listening to God. I think when you arrive at this level in prayer, I know that you are indeed a prayerful person. More often it is we are talking to God in prayer; we ask, we extol and praise him, but listening? Sometimes it is hard to hear God’s voice especially if our lives is being distracted by the noise of the world. What do you think the praise – ‘be still and know that I am God?’

I believe listening to God or also called meditation is a wonderful way to pray. I remember there was a time in my life where my prayers were basically…give, give, give…and I did not stop to listen as to how I could give. For years it was a one way street. I found life so much better when I decided to make it a two way street.

We cradle Catholics do not know this concept in praying. LOL. When I was a kid, a very enthusiastic teacher in the school, he was a Methodist, used to organize a prayer gathering. I thought it was a particularly Protestants thing to pray with your eyes closed. It was so funny then. We did not close our eyes. Our priests never did. When I was renewed in the Charismatic Renewal, prayer began to be very personal and we naturally closed our eyes. I was a young man then and how we laughed at our priest who opened his eyes wide, as usual, when praying the Lord ’s Prayer. He was a jovial fella; we loved him and thought maybe we could evangelize him to pray ‘properly’, with the eyes closed. He was quite elderly – and did not want to learn.

I grew up Southern Baptist and when there was prayer, your head went down and your eyes closed lol. If not, you felt a swift hit on the back of the head. lol Lowering one’s head and closing the eyes is a sign of respect but also helps you focus.

I think this is what most of us do – the minimal. I find it is always a struggle to keep up with a disciplined prayer time but it is very rewarding when achieved.

Yep! Sadly we allow life to get in the way sometimes. “I will pray later” or “God knows I am thankful” tends to shine through.

I thought Susanna Wesley, John Wesley’s mother, the founder of the Methodist Church, who said there could never be a prayer room in their house and that she had to pray anywhere anytime when she could find the time to; and yet she was a great woman of prayer. She and her husband Samuel, an Anglican priest, had 19 children! It was a tremendous feat to raise the children (she home schooled them). Especially in the early eighteen century.

I’m sure it was a challenge to even find a quiet place in that home to pray with 19 children lol.

I think the most wonderful legacy that we can give to the children is a life of prayer. When they see their parents do it, it will become something natural in their own lives and it is up to them to nurture it.

My sister is not very much into religion. She was raised to believe and trust in God as we all were, but as she got older she became more and more apart from her faith. She still prays everyday and for that I am thankful.

This is what I often notice of people who pray – that petition prayer become only a part of their prayers. While we do ask for intercession, very often other types of prayer are equally upduilding.

As an Episcopalian, I ask for the saints to pray for me in a general sense. Much like “All the saints in Heaven…pray for me to the Lord our God.” I do not pick out certain ones nor do I only speak directly to them. Just a comfort thing that I am not comfortable with but take no issue with others that may do so. Prayer is Prayer

Peace be with you!

 

[JonNC]

Reuben_J:
Do you pray?
Yes, though not often enough.

Are you a prayerful person? If yes, why; and if no, why not?
I would guess that most would consider me marginally a prayerful person.

How do you pray?
Often, though not always, my prayers are off the cuff, not particularly formal, even in passing.

How long is your prayer time? Is it done regularly? Do you have a fixed time for it?
It depends. Not always. Not really, though often at bedtime.

Do you have a prayer room in your house?
Not specifically.

Besides personal prayer, do you pray corporately? Do you count church going as personal prayer?
We say grace at means, which is corporate. During worship, I am involved in both corporate and personal prayer.

What is prayer to you?
Conversation with God. Mostly, I pray intercessory prayers.

What type of prayers do you often do?
Intercessory, as I said above, and also meditative prayers, and prayers for my own forgiveness, growth in grace, and strengthening of faith.

Jon