Have you ever started into a time of prayer but you didn’t know what to pray? Prayer is supposed to be the time we connect with God but sometimes when we don’t feel connected it. Theologically we can understand that we don’t need to feel a God moment for God to hear our prayer but can be puzzling and frustrating. If you have experienced difficulty in prayer I would like to offer another prayer option for you: Meditation.
The goal of meditation prayer is to be present. You don’t need a well worded prayer. You just have to be aware of God near to you. While it sounds simple, it is actually a difficult discipline to learn. There is an expectation that prayer is a conversation with God- a conversation that is mostly us talking. Meditation prayer is less a conversation and more like sitting with God. Being present might not sound refreshing but a 5-10 minute meditation prayer can help God fill closer and recharge you for the day.
How to meditate:
1) Find a quite peaceful place. Sit in a comfortable-but not too comfortable positon. You want to be able to relax but not fall asleep. I sit in a chair that I can rest my back against.
2) If you are beginning meditation, set a short amount of time for your meditation. I would recommend 5 minutes to start. Set your phone to signal you at the end of the five minutes.
3) Close your eyes to start your prayer/meditation. Take a deep breath and as you exhale think of a word or phrase that you want to repeat on each breath. Some suggestions are:
Come Holy Spirit
Jesus forgive me
Lord give me peace
Guide me Lord
Thy kingdom come
4) As you pray let the temptation to think about problems and issues fall away with each breath. It is ok after a few breaths to stop repeating your phrase and just be present with your breath.
5) End by giving thanks to God for his presence and his breath of life.
Blessings on your prayer life.