I have been having been thinking about my prayers and evaluating them a lot these days. I have studied, and asked questions, and gained new insights from many great examples that I thought I'd consolidate and post today. I've been learning new things about listening, about the difference between formal and continuous prayer, and how the word "Amen" can make even prayers I don't personally say become meaningful.
A prayer is direct communication with God. It's a 2-way conversation. We say things to Him, and He will respond. If we only talk, we can't hear what He says. Since he hears what we say all the time, I view prayer as more of a listening experience than a talking one. Our prayers, whether formal or continuous, are a chance for us to "tune" ourselves into His help and insight. Sometimes we need to wait for the answer, or "ponder" as the scriptures say. Take some time to give God a change to talk. It is a conversation after all. The biggest key to making a prayer reach God is that it is said in the Name of Jesus Christ. He is the only name under heaven by which we can get to the Father. He is our advocate.
I'm coming to discover the difference between a prayer in your heart and daily formal prayers. Both are necessary. Daily prayers are formal acts when we stop what we're doing and submit to God for a time. Submitting can take several forms. The more we submit, the more we show God we value and need his help. Kneeling is the ultimate showing of humility. The kneeling position is the most vulnarable position a human can be in. In defense of an attack, the knees are the worst place to be. You have to first move to your feet or drop your hands to the floor to be able to move your body. Even on your back you can roll over or push off. Being on your knees is total submission. We also put other senses at bay when we pray. We close our eyes, bow our head, fold our arms, and isolate ourself in a quiet place. All these actions show God our dependance on him and our true desire to receive His answers. Even as we speak outloud, we can fill the sound with the words we want, that will create the environment we want. Try doing it outloud maybe once a day, it's awesome.
The prayer of the heart is one that happens continuously through out the day. It's like having your radar tuned into God at all times. As we need his help or guidance even more, we can tune our radar into him slightly more by silently calling out to him. For me, I've found that as I just pause for a brief moment, I can say a breif prayer. Since a prayer needs to be in the Name of Jesus Christ, that is how I begin my silent prayers. The declaring of Christ's name can occur any time through our the prayer. Like the sacrament prayers, his name is stated, the prayer follows, then said with Amen. Similarly, I like to start my silent prayers that way, and then in one quick thought ask for the help I need. In my mind I'll say, "In the Name of Jesus Christ, help me with this situation." That's a prayer as we then listen to what follows from on high.
The concept of "Amen" has come to mean a lot more to me these days. Amen means "it is so." By saying Amen after a prayer, you are basically stating that you agree with the prayer, so in essense, you are offering the same prayer. We have a dialogue with God in each setting in which we pray. We have a personal dialogue, a companion dialogue (for the missionaries or spouses out there), we have a family dialogue, a congregation, etc. With each setting, when we say Amen, we are all agreeing that we have said the same thing and we all can then listen to the answers that come from God. A practice that's come to help me a lot is to actually repeat the words of whoever is praying in my own head, and then it becomes even more meaningful for me in every situation.
I know our prayers can become so meaningful and useul in our lives. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for God's communication to me. I know it is the best source of guidance, and has become my first action for any situation. I thank all those who have helped my prayers improve, and hope to have this process continue to climb throughout my life. I hope my insights can help your prayers increase in meaning. I know God loves us and is always there for us.
