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PRAYER
AND THE BIBLE
Even though the Hebrew people found meaning in the long lists of laws, genealogies and accounts of warfare, not every part of the Bible is helpful for prayer. We might find it easier to begin with passages that are familiar -- the powerful creation stories (Genesis 1:1--2:2; 2:5-25), the story of God's covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:1-27); Moses' experience at the burning bush (Exodus 3) or on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-25). When the disciples observed Jesus at prayer they asked, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus taught them to pray to God who is Abba Father of us all. He taught them simplicity in prayer by seeking God's will and kingdom, recognizing their daily needs, asking for forgiveness, and persevering in times of trial (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4). The prayer book of the Bible is the Psalms. From the beginning the Psalms shaped the prayer life of the Hebrew people and later became the prayers of the Church. The Psalms were prayers used by Joseph Mary and Jesus in their home in Nazareth. The Psalms can be our prayers too. We will use a simple method of praying the Psalms: PAUSE -- PONDER -- PERSONALIZE -- PRAY God wants to communicate with us, and it is our desire to communicate with God. The basic attitude of prayer is listening.
PAUSE PONDER Let us use Psalm 139:1-6 as an example:
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me. Now read it again slowly. Linger on the words or phrases that have a special meaning to you. Cherish these words. Turn them over in your heart and let them speak to you. You may feel God's healing, strength, love and peace. You may be moved to respond in some way. PERSONALIZE Don't be concerned about following rules or doing it right. It is impossible to do it wrong! Just begin to jot down your response to the word spoken to you in the scripture. Read Psalm 139 again.
Perhaps this will take the form as a a meditation, a letter or even a poem to the Lord. Feel free to experiment. Creativity is the work of God. It may be a concrete response such as: "God loves me in spite of all my imperfections and in all the difficult situations I face. I need to stop being so negative about myself. I need to appreciate God's love shown to me by my family and friends." Writing helps you get in touch with things to help you grow in your relationship with God and others.
Do not be discouraged if nothing seems to be happening. Sometimes God allows us to feel dry and empty so as to sharpen our desire and hunger even in the seeming absence of God's presence. God accepts us with all our limitations, even our inability to pray at times. A humble attitude is a sign of real prayer from the heart. Remember Paul's words: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:26-28). |
 PRAYING
WITH SCRIPTURERead Paul's prayer for his congregation in Ephesus. As you pray this prayer, recall the names of your family and friends whom you would like to commend to God for blessing. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen [Eph 3:14-21]. |
Reading the Bible
prayerfully develops our relationship with God. We become aware of God's
love for us. We experience peace, joy and wonder at the mighty power of
God. We sense our own sinfulness before God's perfection. We learn to
approach God with faith and trust.
Many people who are serious about their spiritual growth keep some
sort of journal of their prayer experiences. The journal is your book of
self-knowledge. A journal is a place where you can:
PRAY From
Pharaoh to the Father: A Journey Toward Freedom Through The Lord's Prayer Unpack the Lord's Prayer and experience the Exodus. It's true. If you meditate on the Lord's Prayer - beginning with the last phrase and going backwards to the first phrase - you move from the world of evil to the world of the Father. You recreate, in effect, the journey of the Israelites out of Egypt. Kay Murdy builds her provocative book on this insight, moving in eight steps from an all-too real world to intimacy with the Holy One. Along the way, she builds powerful connections between Scripture and Tradition and the Old and New Testaments. Discussion questions make this a useful tool for introducing catechumens to the Lord's Prayer. "From Pharaoh to the Father is written in a clear and simple style. Kay Murdy teaches spiritual things spiritually, and her work deserves to be warmly welcomed as a good guide along the path of prayer and Scripture. She has the rare gift of being able to integrate Scripture, prayer, and contemporary daily living." - Joseph Glynn, ODC Paper, $17.95 You can order my book from Resource Publication http://www.rpinet.com/products/fpf.html |
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BIBLE STUDY YOU MAY CONTINUE READING FROM THE TABLE OF CONTENTS OR GO TO ANY OTHER PAGE OF DAILY WORD OF LIFE LISTED BELOW |
