369 Ways to pray Page 43 |
Whole life prayerOne prays with ones life.
This affirmation is true in the sense that our whole life is called to become prayer, a spiritual sacrifice, pleasing to God. |
Vigils1 The eve of a festival or Holy day, as an occasion for religious observance
2 A devotional watching, a nocturnal service or devotion 3 Prayers said or sung at a nocturnal service. |
Of course, if we were to become Channels of Grace,
If our lives become a sign of where Christ is,. . . . . . . our whole life would become sacramental prayer . .. . . . . Prayer is devotion, an acceptable sacrifice, the Christian life itself. Facing the total reality of all that God is asking of us in respect of Himself, |
The NIGHT VIGIL consists of MATINS and LAUDS together lasting 2.5 to 3 hours.
Matins consists of several NOCTURNES each of 6 PSALMS or canticles and the Gospel of the night office. |
our neighbours and ourselves...........we become aware that our response,
in love, is a life pleasing to God....a whole life prayer. |
VisionsHabakkuk explained how one should receive and interpret visions. He told us to wait for them to focus on God who gives them.
Zechariah told of visions he received during the night |
Wordless PrayerAs they persevere in prayer, many people find that the actual words they use become fewer, or that they find themselves praying without words. This type of prayer comes fairly naturally to some people and not at all to others.
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Joel said " young men will see visions and old men will dream dreams "
Jeremiah saw a rod of almond tree burst into bloom. Amos saw a plumb line. Yahweh answered and said " Write the vision down, ". . . . . . . . . . . . . . HABAKKUK 2:2 JERUSALEM |
Like all prayer, it is a gift from God, for we would not be able to "move" towards God if He did not first draw us and move us.. This form of prayer is not a gift reserved for those who live in monasteries or enclosed convents.
In this "Prayer without words" we make an act of the will and direct our attention to God. We direct it quite deliberately to God,we say no words, we think no |
an intellectual visionFor example, a person who is no way expecting such a favour , nor has ever imagined herself worthy of receiving it, is conscious that Jesus Christ stands by her side although she sees him neither with the eyes of the body nor of the soul.
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philosophy and we conjure up no images, it is naked attention of the will
towards GOD. We say no words of praise, make no effort to feel sorrow or joy in the presence of GOD. We simply rest in the knowledge, in pure faith. . . . ., that God is and we are. |
This is called an intellectual vision ; I cannot tell why.
Teresa of Avila 1516 - 1582 The Interior Castle, Sixth Mansions Ch 8 : 2 |
This type of prayer is a wordless, imageless communication with GOD and perhaps has something in common with the deep unspoken communication between mother and child
She looks upon him with love, her whole attention is directed to him. She simply sits, aware only that he sleeps and that she keeps watch with him.. |
Visual PrayerIcons can help promote visual prayer.
a simple sketch or illustration can promote visual prayer. words and images projected onto a screen can promote visual prayer the helpful visual image, in the mind , becomes part of what the heart is praying. |
And so it is with GOD
We can stand with Him on a mountain top,...beside a lake,....on a bus,..... in a darkened church, saying nothing...only being with Him and for Him. Our wordless prayer may be attended by a deep sense of peace. |
Vocal PrayerVocal prayer is prayer of the lips, with stress on words recited or sung .
The text may be ready made like the Lord,s Prayer and often it is beautiful and inspiring. vocal prayer can also be spontaneous, talking talking to God in our |
WorkingSIRACH ( ECCLESIASTICUS ) Ch38 R.S.V. C.E.
verse 31 All these rely upon their hands and each is skilful in his own work......... verse 34....and their payer is in the practice of their trade. |
own words as we would talk to a most trusted person about what is in our heart.
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WORSHIPJOHN 4:24 NAB God is Spirit, and those who worship him
must worship him in Spirit and truth. |
Votive prayerVotive prayer; offered in consequence or fulfilment of a vow.
; expressive of a desire or wish hence;-a votive offering |
PSALM 96:9 R.S.V. C.E.
Worship the Lord in holy array; tremble before him, all the earth. |
a votive candle
votive pictures a votive mass. |
WORSHIP is a door open in heaven--
We lift up our hearts, listen to what God is saying, join the angels and archangels and all the saints in heaven in praising God's eternal holiness. |
Waiting for the LordPsalm 37 : 7 R S V
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently on him. Lamentations 3 : 25 NAB God is the Lord to the one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him. |
WORSHIP is the creative practice of positive emotions;-
thankfulness, love, joy, devotion, extreme respect, honour, reverence, veneration, praise, gratitude, gladness, and submission in love. Yielding up to GodThe final yielding
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Isaiah 40:31 those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with eagles wings.
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of the residue of responsibility, duty and stewardship in freedom and confident faith. . . . . . Yielding the spirit into our Fathers arms must involve a transcendence surpassing previous prayer.
Death is the transcendental event in which the experience of grace, fulfillment of hope, the completion of reconciliation when all that was achieved for us by Jesus |
Prayer WalkingA first experience of prayer walking can be to become aware of the divine in creation. Becoming aware of textures, fragrances, sounds, visual harmony,and
temperature, our appreciation grows for the harmony and precise perfection of creation. In prayer walking we become more aware of the continuing active presence of our creator in creation. |
on Calvary is fulfilled in us.
PSALM 31:5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth. LUKE 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit ;and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. |
Joint prayer walkingJoint prayer walking can take a number of forms.
The stations of the cross can be a joint prayer walk. When a group of Christians walk around an area praying for the people and situation there, sanctifying the area with prayer and claiming it for the Lord, that is a joint prayer walk too. |
Let us pray that the face that we will then turn towards our brothers and sisters may
be the face of love and forgiveness. And may the face that we turn towards the Father be one of complete and trusting abandon, in the liberty of a love at last released from its weight of earth and sin. A Carthusian. |