P
PMV
Guest
Is it acceptable to God if you pray to Him very slowly to better dwell on the words you’re saying?
- Status
D
Della
Guest
I believe it is totally unnecessary to gauge how long one spends on this or that word of a prayer, and is, for most, a mere affectation.
The purpose of prayer isn’t to fully understand in every possible way what the words you are saying mean. Prayer is not about what you are getting out of it, but about what you are giving to God, even petitionary prayer.
So, don’t get all wound up about how long it takes you to pray or what you are getting out of it. Offer your prayers as a sacrifice to God and let him instruct your heart and mind through the usual means of learning what you should and doing what you ought.
The purpose of prayer isn’t to fully understand in every possible way what the words you are saying mean. Prayer is not about what you are getting out of it, but about what you are giving to God, even petitionary prayer.
So, don’t get all wound up about how long it takes you to pray or what you are getting out of it. Offer your prayers as a sacrifice to God and let him instruct your heart and mind through the usual means of learning what you should and doing what you ought.
P
Pug
Guest
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).
In other words. YES! It is just great to pray slowly and dwell on the meaning of what you are saying. You will be in the tradition of a great saint. One can meditate deeply on the Our Father.
(This is not to say it is wrong to pray quickly!)
M
mjdonnelly
Guest
Pray however is best for you.
I think God can be flexible when we praise him.
I think God can be flexible when we praise him.
C
contemplative
Guest
Ahhhh…slower is always better for me. Sometimes I don’t get past more than a word or two. That is pretty slow. There is nothing wrong with dwelling in prayer on just a word or two or a sentence. That is slow. Prayer isn’t about speed or volume. Never is it about speed or volume of words.
R
Ray_Marshall
Guest
The Our Father is actually composed of seven petitions.
I have a book of daily readings taken from the Diary of St. Faustina. In that book it is recommended that pauses after each of the seven petitions would be in order.
I do that, not all the time, but when I do I have found that the power of the Lord’s Prayer is greatly enhanced.
I have a book of daily readings taken from the Diary of St. Faustina. In that book it is recommended that pauses after each of the seven petitions would be in order.
I do that, not all the time, but when I do I have found that the power of the Lord’s Prayer is greatly enhanced.
A
Al_Masetti
Guest
Is slower holier than faster?
Is the front pew holier than the back pew?
Is praying conspicuously holier than inconspicuously?
Is the front pew holier than the back pew?
Is praying conspicuously holier than inconspicuously?
P
Pug
Guest
Al Masetti:
Our Father…pause, okay that means he is OUR father and not just mine or yours. Then I meditate on what that means. After a bit, I go on to Who art in heaven…pause, okay that’s pretty meaningless to me today, move on. Hallowed…pause, okay this resonates with me. How is he holy and how am I not? What’s with all the holiness in Leviticus anyway? Well, God? Any suggestions? Pause…wait to see if he has anything to say. Be patient…etc.
It isn’t about being more pious with the slow prayer. For me it is about a way to slow down and spend time talking to God and listening. The Our Father is great for this, IMO.
The short prayer for me is when I am doing an offering, like, “God I’ve got nothing else to give today. I feel so sick, and everything hurts. Please just take the prayer and do something with it.” Then I recite rapidly an Our Father. It is just different between the short and the long versions, not any one more pious.
No, not at all. I find slower prayer helpful. I like to do the Our Father sort of like this…
Our Father…pause, okay that means he is OUR father and not just mine or yours. Then I meditate on what that means. After a bit, I go on to Who art in heaven…pause, okay that’s pretty meaningless to me today, move on. Hallowed…pause, okay this resonates with me. How is he holy and how am I not? What’s with all the holiness in Leviticus anyway? Well, God? Any suggestions? Pause…wait to see if he has anything to say. Be patient…etc.
It isn’t about being more pious with the slow prayer. For me it is about a way to slow down and spend time talking to God and listening. The Our Father is great for this, IMO.
The short prayer for me is when I am doing an offering, like, “God I’ve got nothing else to give today. I feel so sick, and everything hurts. Please just take the prayer and do something with it.” Then I recite rapidly an Our Father. It is just different between the short and the long versions, not any one more pious.
A
Al_Masetti
Guest
If I pray too slowly, I get lost …
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth…
and that’s as far as I get… because I begin to think about the “cosmos”, the whole universe … as a photograph of all the stars and constellations, and galaxies…
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth…
and that’s as far as I get… because I begin to think about the “cosmos”, the whole universe … as a photograph of all the stars and constellations, and galaxies…
R
Ray_Marshall
Guest
Sit quietly and slowly pray the Our Father . Reflect on your relationship to God as your Father.
Take a few moments, as you pray the Our Father, to think of the many things that God has done for you:
–The difficult times in your life when God has heard your prayers for help.
–The good times when you were so grateful to God because especially good things happened to you.
–The times when you prayed to God for those close to you and how they were so appreciative of your prayers.
Take a few moments, as you pray the Our Father, to think of the many things that God has done for you:
–The difficult times in your life when God has heard your prayers for help.
–The good times when you were so grateful to God because especially good things happened to you.
–The times when you prayed to God for those close to you and how they were so appreciative of your prayers.
Z
Zooey
Guest
Speaking as someone who spent much of my life praying as if it were an Olympic race, I can tell you: Slowing down is good. I find that there is a lot more prayerfulness (is that a word??) in praying slowly & thoughtfully.:twocents:
B
Br.Dan_OCD
Guest
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.
- Status