WHAT IS PRAYER?
We use the word prayer in different ways. Many people talk about 'saying their prayers', but I am not very keen on this phrase as it seems to imply saying set prayers, written by someone else or made up by me, but certainly using words.
We use words a great deal in prayer, but they are not necessary all the time and many people find words inadequate to express their relationship with God.
Many people seem to use the word prayer to mean praying for people or situations, what I would call intercessory or asking prayer. But that is only one part of prayer. Many of us were brought up to think of ACTS:
Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving Supplication (intercession).
That gives some balance.
I use the word prayer to cover the whole, but most especially the time I spend in silence with God, feeding on his word and his creation, thinking, adoring, just being in his presence and holding the needs of others and of the world before him.
Different people do this in different ways. Some talk about 'meditation' - this is used to describe the process of reading a Bible passage, picturing the scene, thinking about it and letting this draw you into prayer.
Some people take naturally to what is traditionally called 'contemplation', or meditation may lead into it. Contemplation is a simple being with God in silence. Ways into it may be repeating a simple phrase like the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God; have mercy on me, a sinner" using a prayer rope, or focussing on a candle or an icon.
There are many different ways of praying, certainly not just saying prayers, or even using words. The Spirituality Group days and workshops try to give the opportunity to explore new ways that may be unfamiliar to us.
Canon Julia Butterworth is the Diocesan Adviser in Spirituality
We use the word prayer in different ways. Many people talk about 'saying their prayers', but I am not very keen on this phrase as it seems to imply saying set prayers, written by someone else or made up by me, but certainly using words.
We use words a great deal in prayer, but they are not necessary all the time and many people find words inadequate to express their relationship with God.
Many people seem to use the word prayer to mean praying for people or situations, what I would call intercessory or asking prayer. But that is only one part of prayer. Many of us were brought up to think of ACTS:
Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving Supplication (intercession).
That gives some balance.
I use the word prayer to cover the whole, but most especially the time I spend in silence with God, feeding on his word and his creation, thinking, adoring, just being in his presence and holding the needs of others and of the world before him.
Different people do this in different ways. Some talk about 'meditation' - this is used to describe the process of reading a Bible passage, picturing the scene, thinking about it and letting this draw you into prayer.
Some people take naturally to what is traditionally called 'contemplation', or meditation may lead into it. Contemplation is a simple being with God in silence. Ways into it may be repeating a simple phrase like the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God; have mercy on me, a sinner" using a prayer rope, or focussing on a candle or an icon.
There are many different ways of praying, certainly not just saying prayers, or even using words. The Spirituality Group days and workshops try to give the opportunity to explore new ways that may be unfamiliar to us.
Canon Julia Butterworth is the Diocesan Adviser in Spirituality
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