“Of all spiritual disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.”

 

I’ve started, erased, and re-written this first paragraph a few times now.  I guess I’m curious to learn what prayer is to you?

Sometimes I pray by simply talking.  I praise God, ask him for wisdom, thank him for a blessing, or just talk.  Other times I pray by singing.  From hymns to modern worship, I sing and reflect on the words of the song.  I remember many times standing in the Jarabacoa valley singing “How Great Thou Art” as I admired the mountains.

More often than not I pray simply by closing my eyes and breathing, thinking about the person or situation at hand.  Or I’ll simply close my eyes and be in his presence.

If you’ve never experienced contemplative prayer I would highly recommend reading Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster.  This book was instrumental in me understanding different ways to pray and connect with God.

I think sometimes our speaking gets in the way of truly connecting with God in prayer.  We are so drowned and surrounded by noise and busyness that we are unable to focus on God, to abide in him.

So I leave the question to you – how do you pray?