A question for those who pray, and your story

[jmotivator]

For those of you who pray, what is your routine, and thoughts on the process?

For maybe 15 years now I have been working on what CS Lewis would call "prayer without words". In his book "Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer" he made a short but convincing argument that changed my thoughts on prayer considerably.

He argued that language, as a human construct, is imprecise, and that regardless of our language, God speaks to us wordlessly, free of the limitations of human language.

I decided back then to change up some of my prayer to taking simple prayers and meditating on them to find the prayer beyond the language, the prayer with all the spirit and no words. I started with the most simple prayer-like statement I could think of, which is the statement by the Roman legionnaire who confronted Jesus on his march to Calvary. It reads "Lord I am not Worthy to Receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" short and to the point.

I took that statement and then worked to break it down. Knowing that prayer to God changes us, and not the world, I started by pinning each part of that statement to wordless thoughts I already carry with me. Thoughts like love and Beauty, and even anger can hit us with great meaning with no words attached. We are hit with imagery, emotion and even reason and restraint. So much of what we really experience has no words already. So after a very long while of practicing and meditating on it I was able to get through the whole prayer, in it's truest meaning, without thinking of any words. 15 years on and the vast majority of my prayer now is like this. No words, just the core meaning underneath the word.

It's kind of interesting too because since I have started praying without words I've found a much more active inner voice. It feels like I tuned the radio to a new channel.

I won't venture to guess that it's more than just the product of my new way of prayer and new way of processing thought, but something definitely changed.

I've had many instances of things that happened to me with this new inner voice that have been very comforting and unexpected, and I'll pass a few on now:

1) Years ago I was in a job that was falling apart, with a new family to support, and I was searching for a new job. I pulled into a parking lot for an interview with my anxiety in overdrive. I stopped, turned off the car with the intent on doing a small wordless prayer when suddenly the axiety broke and I felt a warmness wash over me. Without even thinking, like it wasn't me, I said out loud "Thanks, Mom". She had died a year earlier.

2) On the day that my Daughter died my wife and I got in the car for a 2 hour drive to pick up my youngest daughter from her summer job out of state. While we were in the car I was equal parts numb, exhausted and sad. Suddenly I was shot through with a chill, the kind of jolt to the nervous system that some get that causes a shiver, but it didn't make me shake the way it normally would, it just washed away the sadness. With that jolt to the system I got a wordless phrase in my head that basically translated to "I'm alright now, Dad". I broke down in exhausted, but not sorrowful, tears.

3) Just a few weeks ago I was in bed and at around 3am I was jolted out of my sleep, again the same weird chills-but-not-chills rolled over me and a wordless phrase came to my thoughts. It loosely translated to "Be Prepared" with the object of the thought being my wife and daughter. We would learn later that day that my wife's mother passed away that morning.

Now, all of this can be pure coincidence, God knows my life over the last 10 years at least has been awash with coincidences. But these events prepared me or saved me emotionally in ways more profound than I can really impart, and I credit it to the way I tuned into that inner voice.

 

[Ganondagan]

For those of you who pray, what is your routine, and thoughts on the process?

For maybe 15 years now I have been working on what CS Lewis would call "prayer without words". In his book "Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer" he made a short but convincing argument that changed my thoughts on prayer considerably.

He argued that language, as a human construct, is imprecise, and that regardless of our language, God speaks to us wordlessly, free of the limitations of human language.

I decided back then to change up some of my prayer to taking simple prayers and meditating on them to find the prayer beyond the language, the prayer with all the spirit and no words. I started with the most simple prayer-like statement I could think of, which is the statement by the Roman legionnaire who confronted Jesus on his march to Calvary. It reads "Lord I am not Worthy to Receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" short and to the point.

I took that statement and then worked to break it down. Knowing that prayer to God changes us, and not the world, I started by pinning each part of that statement to wordless thoughts I already carry with me. Thoughts like love and Beauty, and even anger can hit us with great meaning with no words attached. We are hit with imagery, emotion and even reason and restraint. So much of what we really experience has no words already. So after a very long while of practicing and meditating on it I was able to get through the whole prayer, in it's truest meaning, without thinking of any words. 15 years on and the vast majority of my prayer now is like this. No words, just the core meaning underneath the word.

It's kind of interesting too because since I have started praying without words I've found a much more active inner voice. It feels like I tuned the radio to a new channel.

I won't venture to guess that it's more than just the product of my new way of prayer and new way of processing thought, but something definitely changed.

I've had many instances of things that happened to me with this new inner voice that have been very comforting and unexpected, and I'll pass a few on now:

1) Years ago I was in a job that was falling apart, with a new family to support, and I was searching for a new job. I pulled into a parking lot for an interview with my anxiety in overdrive. I stopped, turned off the car with the intent on doing a small wordless prayer when suddenly the axiety broke and I felt a warmness wash over me. Without even thinking, like it wasn't me, I said out loud "Thanks, Mom". She had died a year earlier.

2) On the day that my Daughter died my wife and I got in the car for a 2 hour drive to pick up my youngest daughter from her summer job out of state. While we were in the car I was equal parts numb, exhausted and sad. Suddenly I was shot through with a chill, the kind of jolt to the nervous system that some get that causes a shiver, but it didn't make me shake the way it normally would, it just washed away the sadness. With that jolt to the system I got a wordless phrase in my head that basically translated to "I'm alright now, Dad". I broke down in exhausted, but not sorrowful, tears.

3) Just a few weeks ago I was in bed and at around 3am I was jolted out of my sleep, again the same weird chills-but-not-chills rolled over me and a wordless phrase came to my thoughts. It loosely translated to "Be Prepared" with the object of the thought being my wife and daughter. We would learn later that day that my wife's mother passed away that morning.

Now, all of this can be pure coincidence, God knows my life over the last 10 years at least has been awash with coincidences. But these events prepared me or saved me emotionally in ways more profound than I can really impart, and I credit it to the way I tuned into that inner voice.

Thank you for this wonderal post. "Lord I am not Worthy to Receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" is a perfect way to approach God.

 

[Metanoia]

Now, all of this can be pure coincidence, God knows my life over the last 10 years at least has been awash with coincidences. But these events prepared me or saved me emotionally in ways more profound than I can really impart, and I credit it to the way I tuned into that inner voice.

As a longtime meditator this sounds quite familiar. “Be still and know that I am God” is the dynamic that is at work. Being still for me means verbally though wise and visually. God already knows what we need ….much better than us getting what we want. Thanks for sharing……

 

[bongsaway]

There are no gods.

 

[jmotivator]

As a longtime meditator this sounds quite familiar. “Be still and know that I am God” is the dynamic that is at work. Being still for me means verbally though wise and visually. God already knows what we need ….much better than us getting what we want. Thanks for sharing……

When you think of the number of times that we say something to the effect of "I can't think of the right words" you quickly realize who much language is simply an imprecise translation of our thoughts. You are holding a thought that you don't know the word for.

The more words you know the more tools you have at describing what is going on in your head, but it's still never exact. Language is a binary translation to an analogue mind.

Outside of prayer, I watched an award winning Spanish author interviewed a while back who made an interesting observation. He argued that English is the most beautiful language in the world, and his argument was filled with examples of thoughts and feelings and nuance of thought that can be stated in English where there are no Spanish words for. I'd argue that maybe Arabic is in competition, but either language is more precise with the sheer number of nuanced words in their lexicon.

And even then, neither language has enough words for what actually happens in our brain and how we process sensation.

Hence my decision to work on prayer through our shared original language that has no words, which has proven to be the most flexible.

 

[Girlpower]

For those of you who pray, what is your routine, and thoughts on the process?

For maybe 15 years now I have been working on what CS Lewis would call "prayer without words". In his book "Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer" he made a short but convincing argument that changed my thoughts on prayer considerably.

He argued that language, as a human construct, is imprecise, and that regardless of our language, God speaks to us wordlessly, free of the limitations of human language.

I decided back then to change up some of my prayer to taking simple prayers and meditating on them to find the prayer beyond the language, the prayer with all the spirit and no words. I started with the most simple prayer-like statement I could think of, which is the statement by the Roman legionnaire who confronted Jesus on his march to Calvary. It reads "Lord I am not Worthy to Receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" short and to the point.

I took that statement and then worked to break it down. Knowing that prayer to God changes us, and not the world, I started by pinning each part of that statement to wordless thoughts I already carry with me. Thoughts like love and Beauty, and even anger can hit us with great meaning with no words attached. We are hit with imagery, emotion and even reason and restraint. So much of what we really experience has no words already. So after a very long while of practicing and meditating on it I was able to get through the whole prayer, in it's truest meaning, without thinking of any words. 15 years on and the vast majority of my prayer now is like this. No words, just the core meaning underneath the word.

It's kind of interesting too because since I have started praying without words I've found a much more active inner voice. It feels like I tuned the radio to a new channel.

I won't venture to guess that it's more than just the product of my new way of prayer and new way of processing thought, but something definitely changed.

I've had many instances of things that happened to me with this new inner voice that have been very comforting and unexpected, and I'll pass a few on now:

1) Years ago I was in a job that was falling apart, with a new family to support, and I was searching for a new job. I pulled into a parking lot for an interview with my anxiety in overdrive. I stopped, turned off the car with the intent on doing a small wordless prayer when suddenly the axiety broke and I felt a warmness wash over me. Without even thinking, like it wasn't me, I said out loud "Thanks, Mom". She had died a year earlier.

2) On the day that my Daughter died my wife and I got in the car for a 2 hour drive to pick up my youngest daughter from her summer job out of state. While we were in the car I was equal parts numb, exhausted and sad. Suddenly I was shot through with a chill, the kind of jolt to the nervous system that some get that causes a shiver, but it didn't make me shake the way it normally would, it just washed away the sadness. With that jolt to the system I got a wordless phrase in my head that basically translated to "I'm alright now, Dad". I broke down in exhausted, but not sorrowful, tears.

3) Just a few weeks ago I was in bed and at around 3am I was jolted out of my sleep, again the same weird chills-but-not-chills rolled over me and a wordless phrase came to my thoughts. It loosely translated to "Be Prepared" with the object of the thought being my wife and daughter. We would learn later that day that my wife's mother passed away that morning.

Now, all of this can be pure coincidence, God knows my life over the last 10 years at least has been awash with coincidences. But these events prepared me or saved me emotionally in ways more profound than I can really impart, and I credit it to the way I tuned into that inner voice.

I pray all day long, I call it talking to God.

I don't have a set time or routine, something happens and I talk to Him about it whether it being simply thank you or expressing a doubt or anything in-between.

 

[Revelation]

I pray all day long, I call it talking to God.

that IS the best way Girl, some call that a 'relationship with God'.

my Bible says to 'pray without ceasing', means what it says. there is always something to pray about.

I don't have a set time or routine, something happens and I talk to Him about it whether it being simply thank you or expressing a doubt or anything in-between.

thank you is a good prayer. last saturday we won the door prize at an Easter event; this is the second year we won the same great Restaurant prize. so God is saying something to us in a way that is kinda different.

look thru yur day, maybe the Angels are doing things so you can deal with your life in a better way. they seem to be everywhere; tomorrow i see the Doctor and the Angels and prayer will go with me.

blessings.

.

 

[SoccerCoach]

For those of you who pray, what is your routine, and thoughts on the process?

For maybe 15 years now I have been working on what CS Lewis would call "prayer without words". In his book "Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer" he made a short but convincing argument that changed my thoughts on prayer considerably.

He argued that language, as a human construct, is imprecise, and that regardless of our language, God speaks to us wordlessly, free of the limitations of human language.

I decided back then to change up some of my prayer to taking simple prayers and meditating on them to find the prayer beyond the language, the prayer with all the spirit and no words. I started with the most simple prayer-like statement I could think of, which is the statement by the Roman legionnaire who confronted Jesus on his march to Calvary. It reads "Lord I am not Worthy to Receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" short and to the point.

I took that statement and then worked to break it down. Knowing that prayer to God changes us, and not the world, I started by pinning each part of that statement to wordless thoughts I already carry with me. Thoughts like love and Beauty, and even anger can hit us with great meaning with no words attached. We are hit with imagery, emotion and even reason and restraint. So much of what we really experience has no words already. So after a very long while of practicing and meditating on it I was able to get through the whole prayer, in it's truest meaning, without thinking of any words. 15 years on and the vast majority of my prayer now is like this. No words, just the core meaning underneath the word.

It's kind of interesting too because since I have started praying without words I've found a much more active inner voice. It feels like I tuned the radio to a new channel.

I won't venture to guess that it's more than just the product of my new way of prayer and new way of processing thought, but something definitely changed.

I've had many instances of things that happened to me with this new inner voice that have been very comforting and unexpected, and I'll pass a few on now:

1) Years ago I was in a job that was falling apart, with a new family to support, and I was searching for a new job. I pulled into a parking lot for an interview with my anxiety in overdrive. I stopped, turned off the car with the intent on doing a small wordless prayer when suddenly the axiety broke and I felt a warmness wash over me. Without even thinking, like it wasn't me, I said out loud "Thanks, Mom". She had died a year earlier.

2) On the day that my Daughter died my wife and I got in the car for a 2 hour drive to pick up my youngest daughter from her summer job out of state. While we were in the car I was equal parts numb, exhausted and sad. Suddenly I was shot through with a chill, the kind of jolt to the nervous system that some get that causes a shiver, but it didn't make me shake the way it normally would, it just washed away the sadness. With that jolt to the system I got a wordless phrase in my head that basically translated to "I'm alright now, Dad". I broke down in exhausted, but not sorrowful, tears.

3) Just a few weeks ago I was in bed and at around 3am I was jolted out of my sleep, again the same weird chills-but-not-chills rolled over me and a wordless phrase came to my thoughts. It loosely translated to "Be Prepared" with the object of the thought being my wife and daughter. We would learn later that day that my wife's mother passed away that morning.

Now, all of this can be pure coincidence, God knows my life over the last 10 years at least has been awash with coincidences. But these events prepared me or saved me emotionally in ways more profound than I can really impart, and I credit it to the way I tuned into that inner voice.

That isnt god thats the afterlife reaching out to you by your spirit guide or loved ones. Souls is another term I was stopped at a red light with no visibility on my left. The light turned green and voice in my head said dont go dont go. I didnt and large truck speed through the red light and would have killed me. I had a dead brother reacj out to me through a medium and I used a medium to find my family that I had never known. She gave me specific information that lead me to them and my mother had died 20 years before I found her. We dont end in death memories and emotions go on to another life. They can hear and see us and they will protect us and guide us.