Session 4: Transformed by Prayer

Prayer to begin: Tree of Life Meditation from Healing Pathway

Jesus Teaches prayer

Luke 11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father,^[a] hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come.^[b]
3     Give us each day our daily bread.^[c]
4     And forgive us our sins,
        for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
    And do not bring us to the time of trial.”^[d]

⁵ And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for^[e] a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹² Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit^[f] to those who ask him!”

What do we notice in these words of Jesus about prayer...?

 

Prayer? Kataphatic And Apophatic

In the Christian tradition there are, broadly speaking, two kinds of prayer.

 “Kataphatic” prayer has content; it uses words, images, symbols, ideas.

“Apophatic” prayer has no content. It means emptying the mind of words and ideas and simply resting in the presence of God. 

There are so many ways to pray…

What kind of prayer?    How many different ways of praying can we think of…

Quaker Prayer- Holding someone in the Light.  The person may be sick, dealing with difficult life circumstances, struggling spiritually, working to serve others or setting out on a new path in the world. To hold a person in the Light, imagine them being held in God’s loving presence wordless prayer for another…

In your mind, picture someone you hold in your heart.

Now, for a few minutes invite God`s light and love to surround them, to enfold them completely.

Picture them embraced by, surrounded by God`s protective, healing, encouraging light and love.

How? How do we pray? What are the challenges? What works for us…?

When? When do we pray? What time of day, day of the week, occasion, season…

Where? Where do we pray?

Why? Why do we pray?

The Examen – the Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola

Slow down. Take a moment to quiet yourself.

Acknowledge God’s presence with you where you are.

Ask for the gift of God’s grace in being able to see the day/week gone by through God’s eyes or as God would have you see it.

Review the day’s events. You can watch the day pass by you, like standing on a platform while watching a train go by. Don’t worry about things you can’t remember. Pay attention to where God stops the train. Two or three moments may catch your attention. Reflect on these.

           OR

Ask God to bring to your attention whatever God wants you to see in the events of the day/week gone by.

Ask to recall moments when:

you felt God’s presence or were conscious of God

you felt alone or removed from God

you saw Christ in another person

others saw Christ in you

you experienced difficulty, sorrow or anger...

you experienced joy or satisfaction

you failed to be faithful

you were drawn away from God

you were faithful to God

you were drawn to God

Notice what God has drawn your attention to and and reflect on this.

Ask God to show you if there is some place in your life where you are being called to conversion or to a change of heart.

 Ask God to forgive and heal where you have failed that day/week.

 Thank God for the graces and gifts of the day/week.

 Ask God for the grace or gift that you need for tomorrow/the next week.

(No resolutions or promises are required; we just ask for the gift and for the grace to receive it.)