What Does Prayer Mean For Me
For me prayer has been an evolving undertaking throughout my life. When I was much younger, prayer was “my personal request” line to God, with lots of please, please, pleases. As I aged and hopefully matured, this attitude toward prayer changed: there were many guides – nuns, teachers, friends, books, and clergy, each with their own recipe for the way prayers should be said and in what order. All this advice seemed too formulaic to me and lacked a very important element, a spiritual component.
One of the most significant moments for me in regard to prayer came from my mother-in-law, a no nonsense woman, raised a Roman Catholic but a committed Episcopalian in her adult life. She had a strong, unshakeable faith and her understanding of prayer went as follows: “prayer is simply talking to God.” Talk just like you would to your best friend and remember to listen. In other words there is no magic formula or mantra to use.
The second words of wisdom came from a friend with whom I shared a small Lenten study group. Her wise words have stayed with me: “remember to thank God - for all things - the good and the not so good.” That is sometimes very difficult to do, but when I remember to give God thanks for all things, I really do see how blessed I am and very grateful for this spiritual connection to our Healer and Redeemer.
Mary Lou Beckett
The Prayer of the Chalice*
Father, to You I raise my whole being,
a vessel emptied of myself. Accept, Lord,
this my emptiness, and so fill me with
yourself: your light, your love, your
life, your joy, that these precious gifts
may radiate through me and over-
flow the chalice of my heart into
the hearts of all with whom I
come in contact this day,
revealing unto them
the beauty of
your joy
and wholeness
and
the
serenity
of your peace
which nothing can destroy
through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen
*From the International Order of St. Luke the Physician.
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