Prayer

We believe in the power of prayer to heal, transform and grant the peace that passes understanding.

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You can pray in a variety of ways. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

"Pray without ceasing."

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Breath Prayer

Breath prayers help us focus on God by using our breathing as a guide. Here are some suggestions:

Get in a comfortable position. Take a deep breath, release it slowly. Repeat twice more. Then begin to concentrate on your breathing, breathing normally and trying not to change the rhythm of your breath. Focus on the air entering your body, and then on the air being exhaled. If you find yourself becoming breathless, this style of prayer may not be for you right now.

It is okay if your breath becomes deeper and slower and you begin to relax.

Centering Prayer

You may want to combine breath prayers with centering prayers.As you breathe in, concentrate on breathing in all that God would give you - God’s Presence, strength, grace, healing. As you exhale, let certain things go - your anger, frustration, stress, regrets. Breathe in God’s forgiveness. Breathe out the things that would separate you from God. Breathe in the breath of God. Breathe out your worries.

You may want to establish a sort of rhythm prayer as you breathe. For example,

Breathe in “Hesed* love - .” * hesed = God’s steadfast, merciful love
Breathe out: “dwelling in me..,”
Breathe in: “I thirst -”
Breathe out: “for you, O Lord.”
Breathe in: “Create in me,”
Breathe out: “a clean heart,”
Breathe in: “Create in me,”
Breathe out: “what You desire.”

Another helpful way to do a breath prayer is to think of names or attributes of God that are meaningful to you, and then link them up with a phrase representing what you are asking of God. For example, the name or attribute of God may be “Mercy,” and the request may be “healing.” Your prayer would be to breathe in “Mercy” and pray, “healing” with your breath out.

More Centering Prayer

Close your eyes or find a focal point which will help in prayer (a candle, a Bible, a window, a religious symbol. etc.). Repeat different phrases, such as “I am the vine, you are the branches,” or “In him I live, breathe, move and have my being,” or “Touch me, O Lord.” You may want to sing simple songs or chants, such as those in Taize.

Scripture Prayer

As you read the scripture, let God guide your thoughts and feelings. Imagine the Lord is speaking these words directly to you - for your life today.

If you have trouble focusing, before you begin to read, imagine the words going out from the ancients, touching the people then, touching the people in Jesus’ day, touching the people in the early church, touching the people in the Middle Ages, touching the people at the Reformation, touching the far corners of the earth...and touching you. Imagine Jesus beside you, speaking to you.

Memorize a phrase - “by heart” - or whisper or chant it over and over. Do not rush. Be patient with yourself. If trivial thoughts distract you, note them and then brush them away. Create mental images with the phrases that touch you and try to stay with those images, listening to what God is saying to you through them.

Praying with Your Senses

WYou can use all of your senses in prayer. Concentrate on the sense on which you are focusing. For example, concentrate on what you are hearing or smelling. After Holy Communion, you may want to put yet another piece of bread in your mouth during private prayer and let yourself focus on tasting it, linking that moment with the Communion you’ve shared with the community. After concentrating on tasting, you may want to contemplate Christ as the bread of life.

More Body Prayer

Sit in a comfortable place on the floor. Straighten your back and hold your hands out in front of your torso as if you are ready to receive a gift from God. Imagine God placing a gift in your hands. Imagine: what is the gift? Raise your hands in praise of God and in thanksgiving. Repeat these motions. Let your feelings and thoughts guide your hand gestures. You can open your arms wide. You can wrap your hands around your heart, head bowed. You can lift your arms above and almost behind your head and lift your face towards heaven, towards God’s empowering touch

Peace Prayers

Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported. Let your body relax, but keep your back straight. Fold your hands on your lap or hold them gently folded just above your lap. Starting with your feet and working up your body, let your attention dwell on each part of your body (feet, lower legs, thighs, torso, hands, arms, head...dwell as long or as briefly as you desire). Notice what you are feeling in each part of your body. Let itches, twitches and other distractions be noticed for only a moment, then let them go. You may want to tense and relax each part of your body as you move from foot to head. Try to clear your mind through your focus on your body.

Praying with Nature

Go outside and take a walk. Begin to pray as you walk. Notice the things around you and let them guide you in your prayer. If you see children playing, pray for them. If you see colorful flowers, thank God for the beauty of creation. Invite God to see through your eyes and notice as much as you can - revel in the wonder of creation! You may want to sing a hymn to God as you walk, or chant or repeat a Scripture phrase.

Exercise Prayer

While you’re out walking, you can raise your hands in prayer -- if you’re afraid others will see you, pretend you’re doing arm exercises! You may want to jog. If you do, repeat to yourself phrases such as, “I am running the race of faith.” Let your thoughts fly about what that means to you and offer God to share in those thoughts, letting the Spirit interrupt your thoughts.

You may also want to repeat or sing a Scripture verse(s) or hymn while lifting weights, doing step exercises or engaging in other exercises. It’s very hard to concentrate on what you’re praying, chanting or singing if at the same time you’re trying to count the number of times you’ve lifted the weight (etc.). Therefore, you may need either to give up counting or calculate the number of repetitions you can do to one verse and “guesstimate.”

You can also reach a meditative state through slow movements, as in yoga or tai chi. In these types of prayer, the focus is on your body rather than on your thoughts or reflections. This body focus, while moving slowly, brings enormous peace.

In addition to slow movements, try using different postures or positions. Let the positions be symbolic of what you would like to express to God. You may also create your own dance to physically pray to God, letting the dance communicate your prayer. In dance prayer, you may find a unity between your thoughts and your body’s motions. So not be surprised if you are overcome by sudden emotion or a powerful sense of God’s Presence. The Lord indeed may speak to us when we yield ourselves in prayer.