Prayer
…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17 : 7
Prayer is simply thoughts that include any part of the Trinity, Father God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit. Inviting them into the situations we find ourselves, which can happen anywhere, at the start of our day when we wake up, at work or school or reading the various apps, at the end of the day as we come into land. This scripture from Jeremiah holds gives hope for us to hold on to as we as metaphorical trees with roots stretching out into the stream, and constanly being refreshed. Prayer is like that.
How to pray?
There are so many ways to engage with prayers.
Breath Prayers are centering prayers that can calm our inner voices:
Breathe in and hold it for 4 seconds and say in your mind ‘In Jesus Name’ or ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ Breathe out and hold it for 4 seconds say in your mind ‘Take my strain’ or ‘I shall not want.’
Lectio Divina is a way of linking scripture passages with prayer. Choosing a scripture and then reading it or listening to it once, notice what word or phrase jumps out at you. Read it through a second time and invite Jesus to join the conversation about the part that jumps out at you. Read it through a third time and invite the Holy spirit to seal the hope of the scripture into your heart.
Lighting a candle can help focus the mind and be a way of stilling our inner voices and allowing a sense of connection with God. Emmanuel (God is with us) is always with us wherever we are, it is sometimes simply a case of noticing. Noticing where joy is, where love is, where gratitude is, where hope is, where peace is within the day we have lived.
Lectio 365 is a wonderful daily practice which can be downloaded onto a device and bring a rhythm of prayer afresh.
Sometimes a song can lead us into prayer:
Seek the Lord where he may be found. Where may he be found? All around you.
To request prayer email office@goodshepherdcarshalton.org.uk