Sometimes I have to remind myself not to make daily prayer so difficult. Meditation and contemplation is too often viewed in images of difficult prayer techniques and workshops with meditation gurus. If we’re not careful prayer can become something only the professionals an do well and rightly. So often we know we love God, believe in God, but just don’t feel that we can talk with God like the “professional pray-ers.”
But prayer is a spirituality of the people. But how do you experienced profound union with God? What is the secret?
First of all we need to make a habit of daily prayer, and the daily practice of prayer is not a difficult task. Try to consider the midst of Jesus’ life, His humility, His blessed poverty, the countless hardships, and the punishments that He endured for our redemption. In your daily prayer simply try to reflect on the public life of Christ. Imagine yourself wandering in a local street and bumping into Jesus who is preaching to a crowd of people — and sit down and listen to what He is saying. Whose faces are reflected in the people who are listening to Him? Can you see yourself? perhaps you see one of the women in the crowd, a woman who cared for Jesus. Perhaps one of your children are listening to Jesus teach. In any case, place yourself right in the story your are reading from one of the Gospels.
Take any story from one of the gospels, a gospel passage from a daily devotional, and imagine yourself in the midst of the story. Who would you be most comfortable portraying? What are you hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting? Spend a few minutes really entering into the gospel story of Jesus’ public life and imagining what it would be like to be there. Who is the Jesus you meet? This perseverance and commitment to engaging deeply in ordinary, Christian prayer is what identifies you as someone who prays daily.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” Matthew 6:9-13.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions”
James 4:3.
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” Colossians 4:2.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.
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