Prayer is paramount! Prayer is to spirituality what breathing is to life. The issue is not simply mouthing sentences with scriptural or religious overtures though. Prayer without a purpose or focus borders on rambling. Paul said it best when he told the believers in Colossae to "devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart" (Colossians 4:2 NLT). Pray is a conscious exercise. To really pray I need to do it consciously with some things in mind.
One of the most important things to keep in mind while praying is daily centering. Centering means to bring yourself back into emotional, physical, or spiritual focus. It refers to a conscious act of regrouping and reorienting yourself. Prayer gives us a means and an opportunity to pull ourselves together and ensure that we are putting our energies and resources towards the most important things.
Some benefits of centering prayer include;
- It keeps things in perspective - God, self, personal troubles, materialism, et al
- It ensures I am daily following the paths of righteousness
- It helps me keep my garden of life well tended
- It keeps me responsible for what is instead of looking to what I wish was
- It helps me maintain emotional balance
- It requires I find resolution to the big issues before they result in permanent disability
- It requires I accept or offer closure before problems turn into spiritual cancer
Prayer without ceasing is the right idea. Praying about the right things without ceasing produces the right outcomes.
Thank you for the reminder. How many times do I catch myself praying because it's the right thing to do, and with no purpose I end up rambling. I have too many problems to pray and not expect the right outcomes. I want God involved in my daily life, problems and all!
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