Scripture
“And when you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles. They think
God will hear them if they use a lot of words. Don’t imitate them.
Your God knows what you need before you ask it.”—Matthew
6:7–8 The Inclusive New Testament
Reflection
As the scripture illustrates, the words of our prayers are not as
important as the intention behind them. God looks into the heart of our
prayers. Instead of always approaching God with words, it may be helpful
to begin in silence.
When the proponents of Buddhism and Hinduism named their practice of
sitting patiently
with the intention of oneness with all, the closest word they could
find to describe what they were doing was meditation. The discipline of
Eastern meditation involves sitting quietly while emptying the mind
of all thought. It is a very gentle experience.
The mind is quieted so that busy thoughts of daily life do not overrun
interaction with the Divine. Regular practice of Eastern meditation leaves
the mind better organized, clearer, and quieter.
Action
Practice sitting quietly. Imagine you are a mountain next to a quiet
stream. Observe the stream the way the mountain would see it. Let the
quietness that is resident in the way a mountain sits through time be the
quietness that fills you. If you find your mind wandering to the things
you have to do today, gently draw your mind back to that quietness and let
it touch you deeply. If the distraction is too persistent, write it down
so that you won’t forget it, and then return to your meditation. If you
have children, have them draw a picture of the mountain and then play a
game pretending to be that mountain. Can you imagine God’s presence in
your mountain scene? What peacefulness do you sense? How do you feel being
in God’s presence?
Prayer
Rather than asking or directing prayer thoughts, empty your mind and
spend time in God’s presence. |
