One day he was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we too forgive all who do us wrong; and subject us not to the trial.” – Luke 11: 1-4
INTRODUCTION:
Most believers have taken their first steps in prayer at their mother’s knees when they were taught some simple prayers. As children, we learnt these prayers by heart. By the time we reached the age of reason we had learnt a number of prayers by rote, including the Lord’s Prayer, simple Acts of Faith, Hope, Love, Contrition, etc. Thus began our initiation into prayer in general and our introduction to Vocal Prayer.
PRAYING WITH THE WORDS OF OTHERS:
One form of vocal prayer is to take the words others have cobbled together and make them our own as we communicate with God. It is fairly easy to resonate with these composed prayers. In many instances holy women and men have put them together when they were experiencing significant communion or lack of it with the Lord. These prayers, therefore, have a ring of authenticity and authority about them. For many committed Christians, vocal prayer has been their staple communication with God. They derive comfort from walking in the footsteps of their holy forebears. It nourishes them as they resonate with these prayers and slowly but inexorably make these holy words their own. For many years, St. Teresa of Avila prayed out of a book because she was very distracted otherwise. Praying out of a book, or praying vocally, seemed to help her stay focused on God. The Psalms are probably the best example of praying with the words of others.
PRAYING WITH YOUR OWN WORDS:
When we have entered into a personal relationship with God, invariably we begin to feel the need to express our relationship with the Divine in our own words. While other people’s prayers can sometimes better express our deepest sentiments, often it seems more appropriate and authentic to speak to God with our own words, sentiments, and images. Using our own words is especially appropriate when we are burdened and distraught, as well as when we are experiencing deep consolation. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, is a good example of a person who prayed to God from the depths of her burdened heart. In response to Eli, Hannah answered, “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the Lord. Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery” (1 Samuel 1: 15-16). As mentioned earlier, the Psalms are wonderful examples of prayers that were composed in various life-circumstances. They are powerful and riveting, sobering and ecstatic. They were prayers composed in the midst of danger and travail as well as in moments of intense joy and peace. There will be times when we ourselves will pray like the Psalmist. There will be other times when we will deem it best to use the Psalmist’s words because ours are either inadequate or non-existent.
VOCAL PRAYER COMBINED WITH OTHER FORMS OF PRAYER:
There are several vocal prayers that have been handed down to us through centuries. These prayers have been hallowed by generations of faithful believers. They are a combination of vocal prayer with some other forms of prayer. Some such prayers are the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, etc. The rosary can be done as vocal prayer where the focus is on the meaning of the words. It can also be done as imaging prayer where the disciple enters into the heart of each mystery that is being contemplated while the prayers of the decade are being prayed aloud or with one’s lips. The words act as a backdrop that helps with the contemplation of the mystery. Some like to go back and forth between paying attention to the words of the prayers and contemplating the mysteries.
THE HEART OF VOCAL PRAYER:
Prayer is the vehicle by which we express our relationship with God. It is the place where we speak to God, and as we mature in the relationship God speaks to us and we learn to listen and recognize God’s voice. The purpose of vocal prayer is the same as with any other form of prayer. It is to bring us into the presence of God where we move from communication to communion to union with the Divine. It is important, therefore, whether we are using the words of others or our own, that we pray them from our hearts and claim them as our own. These words are expressing who we truly are or want to be before God. And as we seek to mean what we say, we pay loving attention to the presence of God to whom we are offering our supplication.
PRAYING CONTINUALLY DURING THE DAY:
When a believer becomes a committed follower of Jesus, prayer ceases to be an obligation. It now expresses the disciple’s relationship with Jesus who is claimed as Savior and Lord. A personal relationship has developed between Lord and disciple, resulting in an ardent desire on the disciple’s part to be in the Master’s company continually. The desire to know Jesus and his ways grows incrementally, resulting in a firm commitment to walk in the Master’s footsteps. At this stage prayer becomes the vehicle to express and experience intimacy and communion with the Lord.
Such intimacy can no longer be confined to some stipulated time on the daily schedule. It becomes a necessity to be with the Lord throughout the day. Jesus takes on the role of itinerant Teacher, Friend, and Beloved. The marketplace becomes holy because God resides there. It is now as holy a sanctuary as is Church, because in both places the Lord is present and wishes to commune with the disciple.
Practicing the presence of God throughout the day is a tradition that dates back to the early Church. Paul was definitely a person who lived and breathed God. He and countless others have shaped their lives in God’s presence and under God’s directions. In week 28 we will look specifically at this tradition of the practice of the presence of God.
HELPFUL ATTITUDES FOR PRAYER:
· Contrary to what some may think, vocal prayer is an exalted form of prayer that has been used by holy women and men throughout the ages. It is very effective prayer that can and does lead one into the heart of God.
· When you pray vocally, either by using your own words or those of other believers, make sure you claim these words as your own and mean what they say.
· Remember that the Holy Spirit is praying in your spirit. At times you will sense that your prayer could not have come from you. Only the Holy Spirit could have prayed those words.
· Take a few minutes every now and then during the day to be present to God. Listen to your heart. If there are words given to you by the Holy Spirit, speak them to God. Or abide in loving silence, attentive to God’s presence.
· If you are losing your sense of joy, hope, and loving attitude, maybe you are not engaging enough in the prayer of gratitude and recollection of God’s presence in your life.
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER:
· Be faithful to your time of prayer, and make it between 20 and 30 minutes daily.
· Begin every prayer session with an earnest prayer to the Holy Spirit like the one I have composed for you: Come, Holy Spirit, and overshadow me with your gentle wisdom and power as I endeavor to sit at the feet of Jesus during this period of prayer. Purify my mind and heart as I seek to make the teachings of Jesus my priority in life, thinking, speaking and doing as He desires. You are the keeper of my soul, leading me into God’s heart. May I be docile and submissive to your wisdom and guidance. May my life be a pleasing offering in your sight. Amen.
· Take one of the passages suggested for prayer. During the week you might want to ponder the question, “What kind of relationship with God does your vocal prayer express?”
· Lastly, during your prayer make sure you also address God directly and listen for the Holy Spirit’s responses.
· You can end your prayer with the following: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for your gracious companionship. I praise you for being my Creator, Savior and Lord. May I take your blessings to my day, and may your presence envelop and permeate all my thoughts and actions. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PASSAGES FOR PRAYER:
Matthew 6: 5-15: Prayer
Matthew 18: 19-20: The Power of United Prayer
Luke 11: 5-13: Two Parables on Prayer
Ephesians 3: 14-21: Prayer for the Readers
Ephesians 6: 18-20: Assiduous Prayer
Colossians 1: 9-14: Prayer for Continued Progress
Colossians 4: 2-6: Prayer and Apostolic Spirit
Revelation 4:1- 11: Vision of Heavenly Worship
SPIRITUAL READING:
The Imitation of Christ:
After the Bible, this classic is the most widely read. There are four books and 114 chapters in all. You could savor this book three times over if you read a single chapter each day of the retreat. For this week the following chapters might be useful:
Book I: Useful Reminders for the Spiritual Life:
Chapter 11: Of Finding Peace and Making Spiritual Progress
Chapter 19: Of the Training of a good Religious Person
Book II: Suggestions Drawing One toward the Inner Life:
Chapter 8: Of Intimate Friendship with Jesus
The Bible:
It would be even more important for you to become familiar with the Bible, especially with the New Testament. Similarly, beginning with the New Testament you can choose to read a few chapters on a daily basis, and/or the ones recommended during this week.
Old Testament:
The Song of Songs
New Testament:
I and II Corinthians
JOURNALING:
- Journal for a few minutes daily about your experience with God in prayer and during the day.
- Your journal will help you with your sharing in spiritual direction
- Gradually patterns of insights, themes, consolations, and resistance to God’s promptings will emerge.
Your journal will help you appreciate the Holy Spirit’s action in your being.
|