I would never call myself an expert on prayer. I’d save that exalted status for a few millennium of saints, prophets, Biblical heroes and that lovely soft-spoken friend—we all have them —who’s a quiet genius at storming the heavens.
But here are three things I remind myself about prayer.
1) It’s all prayer.
I’ll sit on the sofa in the TV room for 20 minutes that I’ve dedicated to meditative prayer. Nothing else on the agenda. I close my eyes, clear my head and sink into a deep contemplative state.
And guess what? I’ll get up and think, “Gosh, I hardly prayed!” My mind was so full of worries and distractions and aimless wanderings. Every time I tried to get quiet and in touch with the divine, the mind would assault me with some issue. Like a clanging bell.
Here’s what I remind myself: God was there. No escaping it. God is always there. And all that stuff that came up was just what God needed to hear. From me. It’s all prayer.
2) Pray the interruptions.
This really connects with the first point. Life is full of interruptions. So is prayer. I once interviewed a kindly man who said, “The Holy Spirit is the Lord of our time.” We plan exactly what we want to do. And then something else comes up.
So when those interruptions come up during prayer, pray them. Throw them in the prayer stew, a big bouillabaisse or maybe chicken gumbo. Call it what you will.
The car honks outside, a distant siren screams, the air conditioner rattles, the phone call you had last night, the email you’re about to send…oh, and what about that bill you need to pay? It’s there in your head. Put it in your prayer.
3) Pray right away.
A friend lets you know of a challenge at work, a relative gets a frightening diagnosis, a disaster hits the front pages, a text message jolts you.
You might say, “I’ll pray for you.” (And I do believe in telling people that I’m praying for them.) Don’t wait for that quiet moment before you go to bed or when you’re sitting in your comfy chair. Say a prayer right now. A flash one, a quick one.
You can scribble a name down—I do it on Post It note—so you can remember to keep praying. But don’t wait for that first prayer. Do it right away.
See, I told you I’m no expert. But prayer isn’t just for experts. It’s for amateurs like us. After all, amateurs are people who do what they do out of love. And that’s at the heart of prayer.
Godspeed.
