Prayer Resources

One Way to Pray

Pleading, Petitioning, Asking, Desiring:

Notice what you want on as many levels as possible.  Bring to consciousness your deep longings for your life, your passionate needs, your everyday wishes, your superficial and embarrassing hankerings.  Do not censor yourself.  Then give all these on to God.  Let your prayer simply be an uncensored set of these pleas, petitions, requests, and desires.  Do not give a speech or rationalization to yourself or God about these pleas.  You also do not even need to describe them.  Simply feel them and then give them to God.

Then take several moments simply to be silent.  Let the emotions and event of having brought all this to your consciousness and to God wash over you.  Then notice if there are some of the pleas, petitions, requests, and desires that are more important to you than others.  Then lift up these particular and more important desires again.

Unloading, Letting Go, Confessing, Unburdening:

Notice what is bothering you, what you are angry about, what you are ashamed of, where you have failed yourself and others, what frustrates you, what is hurting inside you.  Again here do not censor yourself.  Then give all these on to God.  Let your prayer simply be an uncensored unburdening of these feelings and realities in your life.  Here too do not give a speech or rationalization to yourself or God about these parts of you.  Here too you do not need to describe them or clarify them.  Simply acknowledge them and give them to God.

Then take several moments simply to be silent.  Let the emotions and event of having brought all this to your consciousness and to God wash over you.  Then notice if there are some of the confessions and unburdening that are more important to you than others.  Then let go of these particular and more important unburdenings again.

Being Present to the Life of the World Around You, Wishing for Good in the World Around You:

Notice what is around you and your longings for that.  Bring to mind that to which you are especially attached: your pet, your family, your friends, your work.  Open up to the worlds of nature, politics, culture, learning, and finance; and notice where you wish for good things to emerge there for others.  Feel the goodness you wish for that which is beyond you.  Here too do not hold back or give speeches to yourself or God.  Simply give these longings for that which is around you, near and far, to God.

Then take several moments simply to be silent.  Let the emotions and event of having brought all this to your consciousness and to God wash over you.  Then notice if there is some of your being present to the world around you that is more important to you.  Then lift up these particular and more important hopes again.

Joys and Thanksgivings:

Notice where your joy is.  Be as specific as possible about where the joy is inside and around you.  Remember the moments and occasions for you in your life.  Notice what you are thankful for, everything from the unpredictable occurrences to the structures and rhythms of your life.  Claim those feelings of joy and thanksgiving and give them on to God.

Then take several moments simply to be silent.  Let the emotions and event of having brought all this to your consciousness and to God wash over you.  Then notice if there are some of the joys and thanksgivings that are more important to you than others.  Then lift up these particular and more important desires again.

Closure:

Stay put for a few moments.  Notice how you are feeling and what you are thinking.  Give any of these additional feelings to God.  Let yourself be held by what has happened.

Written by Rev. Dr. Hal Taussig, Chestnut Hill United Church