Friday, January 15, 2010

What is Prayer?

To understand the meaning of prayer, we must first believe that God exists, and that He is a personal being, a person who can be addressed and who responds. We must believe that God knows us, cares for us, and loves us, even more than we love ourselves. Some describe prayer as talking and listening with God. Others may call prayer love letters to God. Since prayer engages and expresses our relationship with God, the essence of prayer is communication.
Prayer is a communion of the human with the divine. We talk to God, our creator and we connect with Him as father, mother, friend, lover, and savior. Whether our prayer comes from love, gratitude, and inspiration, or from fear, despair, and desperation, we talk heart-to-heart with God. When we pray we use the voice of the human, but we align with the voice of our hearts and our souls. Prayer fulfills the need humans have for God, for inspiration, for affirmation of our own souls. We talk to the one who loves and accepts us as we are.
We must feel that God has called us into a relationship with Himself. Relationships require communication. Prayer is communication between a holy God and a beloved you and me. God wants to be in relationship with us and He knows we need what He can give. Through prayer, we experience life-transforming, life-renewing intimacy with the Creator of the universe.
Through prayer, we learn more and more about God’s character, and how His perfect will is working itself out in our lives. Deepening our understanding of God also deepens our faith and desire to worship. As we become increasingly aware of our limitations, we can rest in the knowledge that our God is omniscient. Availing ourselves of God’s counsel is a blessing of prayer.
Prayer opens our heart and mind to God, and makes us capable of receiving heavenly blessings and bringing forth fruits of virtues and perfection. Prayer attracts into our hearts the grace of the Holy Spirit, thus strengthening our faith, hope, and love. It illuminates our minds, directs our will to do good, consoles the heart in sorrow and suffering, and, in general, gives us everything that serves our true welfare.
There are different forms of prayer. The purpose of the various prayer types is for each individual to be able to find a way to experience God in their lives and to discover God’s intimate will for their lives. We experience events in our lives differently according to our personality and the environment in which we were raised. Therefore, it is important to find a prayer type that is comfortable, meaningful and suits our individual personas.
The way that persons in love deepen their bond of charity with each other is through the sharing of their interior lives in an authentic and generous exchange of words, gestures, and feelings. The conversation of prayer deepens our intimacy with God by drawing us into the communication with Him that leads to ultimate communion. In the process, prayer conforms us to the Lord we love so that, our will becomes united in some way with the will of God.
Have a conversation with God today. Keep in mind that conversation works both ways. Talk to God, but also listen to what God wants to say to you. Stop your busy lives for a little while and spend time with God. The only way we can develop our human relationships is with contact and conversation. Our relationship with God requires the same time and ingredients. Just as a loving friend or family member wants to hear from you and talk to you, so it is with God.

Peace and love,

Sue




"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)

No comments:

Post a Comment