A few days ago I crawled out of bed just as it was starting to get light outside, I opened up the curtains pulled up a chair to the big picture window and spent an hour or so in prayer and bible reading and rediscovered something that I had been missing for awhile, peace ,quiet and the reassuring presence of G-D. To some of you this may not be a new idea and honestly it's not to me either, it has just been something that I had kind of forgotten.
My explanation really is rooted in many of the changes that we have gone through in our family, moving,loosing a house, trying to get used to a new place and all the assorted chaos that comes from that kind of economic madness. But really it has been the spiritual changes in my life that has caused some or even most of the confusion. Don't take me wrong, I was not confused about what I believe,just rather how to go about implementing what I believe.
I am not a big fan of organized religion and it's various interpretations of how to do things simply because it gets too complicated and confusing. My issue was really a matter of how does a person approach G-D in prayer, is there a right way? A wrong way? How do you do it?
If you are a Christian it will all depend on what type of Christian you are. Many are very conservative and the prayers are very formal,almost rehearsed. Some pray standing,others kneeling and some ,especially amongst the older folks, will use so many thees and thous that your never quite sure if they remember what century that they are in. Then there are those who like a less formal approach and they will be speaking in tongues, clapping their hands or have their arms up towards the heavens praying with the tears rolling down their cheeks in total ecstasy. If you are Jewish, many times the prayers are sung and a prayer book is used and,depending on the day, it will be a different prayer sung for different events. Some of it's done sitting other times it is done standing and rocking with most of it being in Hebrew.
So this has really been my source of confusion. Whats the best way to go about praying. Do I do it the way that most of the formal groups do it? Do I stand and rock? Do I sit and contemplate? Is it necessary to raise my hands or use a prayer book? What is the right way to do it? I had wrestled with this for so long that I had gotten to a place where I wasn't doing it at all. Yes I was still reading the scriptures but I had kind of left out prayer and really wasn't sure what to do. Then an old song reminded me of what to do. Sweet hour of prayer by William W. Walford, 1845
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care,And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
This song had been running through my head for a few days but it wasn't until I actually paid attention to what the words said that I finally understood. G-D tells us to come to Him in prayer but He doesn't tell us how. Why? Because all of us are different and we all have different needs and expectations of what consists of prayer and worship. What works for you may do nothing for me. What is truly important is that we take the time to pray, not how, it's as simple as that.
Sweet Hour of Prayer....
Shalom,
Ignacio
