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Is it acceptable to God if you pray to Him very slowly to better dwell on the words you’re saying?
I think you should ask a Carmelite this question. I have read the Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila (spelling?). If I recall, she suggests that her nuns pray the Our Father and suggests the type of thoughts to go with the words. She goes into great detail in the book. (I’m leaving out some detail about various orders given to Teresa).Is it acceptable to God if you pray to Him very slowly to better dwell on the words you’re saying?
No, not at all. I find slower prayer helpful. I like to do the Our Father sort of like this…Is slower holier than faster?
Certainly it is acceptable. You should feel free to do whatever helps you to pay attention to what you are saying. An example of a saint who did pray slowly is St. Therese, the Little Flower…she mentions this in her autobiography somewhere. Generally, Discalced Carmelites spend an hour at a time in silent prayer (trying to pray, at least). So, sometimes at least, she would spend the whole hour saying the Our Father once or twice. Nobody else has to feel obligated to go at that “speed.” As I say, it’s all a matter of finding what helps you to become recollected and actually pray (converse with God) and not just say holy words.Is it acceptable to God if you pray to Him very slowly to better dwell on the words you’re saying?