13 January 2008

A LIFE OF Prayer for the New Year

Pray with Simplicity - Matthew Chapter 6

 5-6"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

 7-13

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

   13 (continue)

Our Father in heaven,    Reveal who you are.    Set the world right;    Do what's best— as above, so below.    Keep us alive with three square meals.    Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.    Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.    You're in charge!    You can do anything you want!    You're ablaze in beauty!       Yes. Yes. Yes.

 14-15"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.  

  16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.

Honesty SimplicityGraceGod’s will Integrity

X FormulasX ProgrammesX AdviceX Attention seekingX Production

Jesus says:

Yes to…. No to…..

Many Types of prayers, here are some…

PetitionIllumination

Courage/Strength

GuidanceCommitment

Submission

Awe and wonder (praise, adoration, etc)

Forgiveness

Conversational Thanksgiving

Many Ways to pray, here are some……

Out loud

Silently

Extempore

Liturgical

Working Walking

Kneeling

with MusicWriting

Going inward

Listening

In conversation

With icons

pictures

Each individual incarnates a different dimension of divinity.

We damage the sanctuary of each other’s presence by building …false standards of comparison and competition.

You can only pray through the unique lens of your individuality.

Prayer is not the monopoly of the pious; neither is it to be restricted to the providence of those religious or spiritual.

You can pray any time and anywhere. You do not have to travel to some renowned spiritual guide to learn how to pray

O’Donohue, John (2000), Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Hunger to Belong, London: Bantam Books, ~ISBN 0-553-81241-6

Lift up your arms and I will catch you……….

……………. trust the catcher

As Rodleigh of "The Flying Rodleighs" puts it:

"As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher.

The public might think that I am the great star of thetrapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump. . .

The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher doeseverything. . . The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch thecatcher. . .

A flyer must fly and a catcher must catch, and the flyer musttrust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for

him."

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems.

Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it.

Kindly put it in the ‘something for God to do’ basket.

It will be addressed in my time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the basket, do not hold onto it……………..