Rector’s Daily Reflections
Thursday 7th March 2024
Learning More About Prayer
Yesterday I shared some thoughts on the importance of remembering that prayer is not only a noun- it is also a verb. How are we praying? Are we praying out of a spirit of love and humility? Or our prayers simply an exercise in spiritual pride?
Today I wish to share some reflections on the content of our prayers. What are we praying about? For whom do we pray? What words do we use?
There is no fixed answer to any of these questions, but nonetheless they provide useful material for reflection. We all get into habits in our prayer life. Sometimes these habits can be really helpful for us. But at other times, our habits of prayer can get in the way of a living relationship with the Living God. Is it time for us to try something different? Perhaps we might wish to start praying about different things, or use different words. I think it’s good to try new things in our spiritual life. Sometimes our experiments don’t work out, and we find ourselves going back to what we have always done. However, there are times when we try something new, and find that this leads to a significant deepening of our relationship with God.
In terms of trying something new, here are two suggestions. You may – or may not- find them helpful means of growing your relationship with God. But I think they are certainly worth a try.
The first suggestion is to make use of a daily prayer diary, such as the Anglican Cycle of Prayer. The Diocese of Oxford also has a daily prayer diary which is easily available on its website. I would recommend committing to using such a cycle of prayer for a set period of time, such as a couple of weeks or so, and then reflecting on the experience. Have we found that the cycle of prayer has drawn us closer to God? Have we found that the experience has been life-giving? If we have found that the experience hasn’t been helpful, would it be different if we tried a different cycle of prayer?
The second suggestion is to make a collection of favourite prayers, and use these on a regular basis. We might even ask fellow Christians for their favourite prayers. One of my own favourite prayers is the prayer of Revd. Eli Jenkins, from Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood . You may well know it. This prayer would definitely have a place in my personal book of favourite prayers. Some of my ancestors came from Wales, and I have a soft spot for the poetry and prose of Dylan Thomas. I wonder what prayers would be included in your personal collection?