How do you pray?

[Sad Eyed Lady]

We may have covered this in these forums before, but if so I have forgotten or missed it. So, for those of you who pray, as opposed to meditation, how do you do this? I am speaking of your physical position and manner. Growing up I guess I always envisioned prayer as a formal time, the classic pose of down on your knees, head bowed, eyes closed etc., but now I know the attitude of prayer can be so much more flexible. Please, if you don't mind to share, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. For instance, does anyone journal prayer?

[Simplemind]

I have often prayed while in my car. This past couple years has brought me to a lot of prayer and most of the time it is a running dialog in my head no matter where I am or what I am doing. A snippet here a snippet there, everywhere a thank you.

[goldensmom]

I pray without ceasing (I Thess:5:17)..... anyplace, anytime, any position and about anything; petitions, supplications, thanksgivings, praises or a simple two word 'thank you'. I also pray formal, written prayes such as the Book of Common Prayer or The Divine Hours. Sometimes I am too burdened to say or think a word in that case I am just silent (Psalm 46:10).

[catherine]

I try to do what goldensmom does.. Pray in the moment. When I meditate I do it in my office, sitting up straight in my chair. Not "textbook" but so much better than saying in my mind, "OK, now I have to find the perfect spot, and leave what I'm doing, and get the right "tools" and etc. etc." I tack on formal prayers to my 20 min centering prayer/meditation session (prayers like Lord's Prayer, The Prayer of St. Francis). I also do the Divine Office in the morning and at night at bedtime, I read them from my bed off my iPhone. The beauty of technology! I have the Divine Office 4-volume set, which isn't cheap, but I no longer use it--my Universalis app is the best!

[happystuff]

My formal recitation of mantras is in my car every morning on the way to work and sometimes at night in bed. I also pray (i.e. time of quiet/stillness/reflection/breathing) whenever I can. I enjoy it most outside on days of really nice weather.

[Tussiemussies]

Hello,

My method of praying is very intimate to me but just to let you know that my mother bought me a prayer shawl that during the time it was knitted or crocheted the person prayed the whole time. I have heard of many people doing this with items they make for others. I was just on Florence's thread and it reminded me of this. How infused with positive energy those items must be.

Also there a website called gratefulness.org I believe is it org or om. Anyway they have the Vespers of the day and beautiful pictures of old angelic art. You might like that....

Christine. :)

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Hello,

My method of praying is very intimate to me but just to let you know that my mother bought me a prayer shawl that during the time it was knitted or crocheted the person prayed the whole time. I have heard of many people doing this with items they make for others. I was just on Florence's thread and it reminded me of this. How infused with positive energy those items must be.

Also there a website called gratefulness.org I believe is it org or om. Anyway they have the Vespers of the day and beautiful pictures of old angelic art. You might like that....

Christine. :) Yes, Tussiemussie, I frequent gratefulness.org every now and then and like the site very much, especially lighting the candles.

[BarbieGirl]

I find myself praying at night in bed. Not the most formal, but I feel that's when I can relax. I also try to pray The Divine Mercy at 3pm when I am able, along with the meditations of the rosary.

I think anytime and anyway we pray must be pleasing....

Barb

[ctg492]

Every night before I fall asleep, hands folded and eyes closed. In the time when my son was at his lowest I would fall asleep praying every night.

[Float On]

I pray without ceasing (I Thess:5:17)..... anyplace, anytime, any position and about anything; petitions, supplications, thanksgivings, praises or a simple two word 'thank you'. I also pray formal, written prayes such as the Book of Common Prayer or The Divine Hours. Sometimes I am too burdened to say or think a word in that case I am just silent (Psalm 46:10).

Well said and I try to stay in a constant state of prayer (conversation). Most nights I'll fall asleep as I'm praying and I sometimes wake up in the middle of a prayer. I use to have a prayer closet when I shared an old upstairs of a house with a friend in college. It was nice to have a room (6x6 closet) that was always there and a quiet place to get away. I'd love to have a small windowless room for that again sometime....it felt very holy because it was set apart and only used for prayer and meditation.
I pray a lot when I'm out and walking or kayaking. I pray as I'm doing laundry or cooking.

One nice thing about my part-time job with my church - I can slip into the sanctuary and pray. I like to lay down on the floor under the stained glass window and pray (and nap).

[Gardenarian]

I have a small altar in my bedroom. I light candles (which to me signal the creation of a sacred space) and I sit cross legged (on my bed - the altar is on my dresser.

I also like to sit cross legged outdoors and pray, or lie in the grass looking up through the trees. That's a quick way to feel grounded!

[Greg44]

In an ideal world, I would be bedside morning and night kneeling in prayer - but more often than not I pray after I get in bed. I pray thoughout the day, just a quick non-verbal prayer for someone or a particular situation.

I pray standing up, head bowed, eyes closed before I leave for my early morning or late night runs.

As a side note - I have been praying a lot lately about work. New positon, new computer software, etc. I pray that I might understand the new software. I really believe my prayers are being answered. Employees who have worked in this department for years come to me about their software questions - which is only right seems I am their boss! I think our prayers need to be specific - both in our needs and for our gratitudes.

[Stella]

I pray while I go about my day, but I also pray the rosary in the morning, usually sitting in my favourite chair. The kids and I pray the morning offering at the breakfast table and sometimes the Angelus at lunch.

[razz]

I sit in my favourite chair and write out my prayers in a stream of consciousness mode (amazing the answers that come to me), also when I am walking the dog and as I lay in bed before I go to sleep at night

[Miss Cellane]

Way back a couple of decades ago, the nuns taught me that you could pray any time, even just walking down the school corridors. Just a one-word prayer, if that's all you had time for. At the time, when I was nine, this didn't make any sense at all. Everyone knew you had to kneel down by your bed to pray, or go to church.

Funny that this is one of the few things the nuns taught me that has stuck with me.

I pray a lot in my car, but that's because the drivers around here are nuts.

When my nephew was born and was very, very ill for months in NICU, I made praying for him a part of my entire day. I had a job where I was on the phone a lot. So every time I reached for the phone, I prayed for him. Nothing long or elaborate, just the thought of him being held in loving, caring hands. He's 13 now, and I find myself still doing this.

[larknm]

I pray when I get ready to go to sleep, even though it's a Lakota prayer that involves standing and facing the 4 directions and reaching to the sky and ground, so I just picture myself doing that. If I fall asleep, I continue when I wake up. During the day I pray quickly when I hear a siren or other sounds of distress, like people fighting or see tennis shoe laces tied and the shoes hanging from electric wires above a street--which around here means either someone has died or you can get drugs here.

[Mrs.B]

I'm definitely a pray without ceasing kind of girl. In my car, at my desk, washing dishes, before I fall asleep, when I first wake up. When I'm out and about and see something or someone I want to bring before God. I once read an article about how to have Christ present with you always, and it was about just always imagining that he was with you. Driving down the road...He's got shotgun. In the grocery store...He's walking along beside you. In the office...He shares the desk next to you. How would your day be different?
How would your driving be different? Road rage? Gossip? Judging? If you felt he was always there, how would your conversation go? It changed my life.

[forhisglory]

I'm definitely a pray without ceasing kind of girl. In my car, at my desk, washing dishes, before I fall asleep, when I first wake up. When I'm out and about and see something or someone I want to bring before God. I once read an article about how to have Christ present with you always, and it was about just always imagining that he was with you. Driving down the road...He's got shotgun. In the grocery store...He's walking along beside you. In the office...He shares the desk next to you. How would your day be different?
How would your driving be different? Road rage? Gossip? Judging? If you felt he was always there, how would your conversation go? It changed my life.

I like this! It reflects my prayer practice, also. Prayer to me is a conversation, and sometimes I'm doing the talking and sometimes I'm doing the listening.

[SvenV]

I close the eyes and let me take to another place... be thankful for what I have and that I am happy and healthy.