Prayer: Let Us Pray To The Lord
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Let Us Pray To The Lord- by Fr. Anthony Hernandez
What Is Prayer?
Since prayer is such a profound way in which human beings experience God, it is difficult to give a dictionary-style definition of it. But some of the greatest masters of Christian spirituality have offered descriptions of prayer. In regards to prayer, Saint John Damascene said, "Prayer is the lifting up of one's mind and heart to God; it is also a request for good things from God."
Lifting of the mind to God In prayer we raise our thoughts to God, contemplate His greatness and goodness- and we reflect on all that God has done for us.
Lifting of the heart to God For Christians the heart signifies the innermost center of a person's affections and emotions. In prayer we lift up our hearts to God, that is, we offer Him our love and present to Him our joys, sorrows, hopes, frustrations, concerns, and desires.
"Let my prayer ascend to You like incense ...." (Ps. 140:2) The smoke of incense rises up and gives off a perfumed scent. The incense represents our prayers rising up to God. "And the lifting up of my hands like an evening sacrifice." (Ps. 140:2) In the early days of the Church people often prayed with their hands lifted up. This practice is still practiced by many today, although during the Liturgy usually only the clergy raise their hands. The lifting up of the hands in prayer is a sign of the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God in praise and worship.
Prayer and the Holy Spirit
True prayer begins by the influence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The Holy Spirit moves us to turn to God in prayer. He reminds us that we are the children of God, and that God is a most loving Father. "As proof that you are [God's] children, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out: "Abba, Father!" - Gal. 4:6.
Since it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to offer true prayer to God, we should ask the assistance of the Holy Spirit as we begin to pray. This is one of the reasons why a prayer to the Holy Spirit is part of the common beginning prayers used in the Offices of the Divine Praises (Matins, Vespers, etc.). ''O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, You are everywhere present and fill all things..."
Prayer Is Essential To the Life of a Christian
Through the Holy Mysteries we begin our life in Christ. Prayer helps to sustain us in our union with Him. Sincere prayer makes us more aware of God's presence in our lives and draws us closer to Him. "Prayer is by nature a dialogue and a union of man with God. The effect of prayer is to hold the world together. Prayer brings about a reconciliation with God." - St John Climacus.
Praying with Soul and Body
Since human beings are made up of soul and body, they are also called to worship God with their souls and bodies. It is for this reason that the Church's Liturgy contains many different symbols, gestures and rituals.
In the liturgical services of the Church, our minds, hearts, and bodily senses are engaged in the act of worshipping God. In our worship we make use of holy icons (images of Christ, the Mother of God, and the Saints), candles, incense, and vestments (special clothing worn by the clergy during the services). We also bow our heads and bodies, make the Sign of the Cross, stand, make prostrations, kneel, walk in processions, sing, etc. These external signs and actions are not substitutes for prayer from the heart, but they can help move our minds and hearts to worship God. St John Climacus said: "The mind often conforms to the body."
Motives for Prayer
There are various motives for praying. the desire to praise God, to thank Him, to express sorrow for sin, and to petition or ask God for the help we need.
Praise
"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Sing praise to His name; give to Him glorious praise. Say to God: How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power!" Psalm. 66:1-3. God's goodness is displayed in all that is good, beautiful, and loving in the world. Praise is the joyful acknowledgement of God's greatness and goodness. We praise God not only for what He has done for us, but especially for who He is. We praise God when we acknowledge in our hearts, in our prayers, and in our actions, the magnificent goodness, wisdom and love of God.
Thanksgiving
"Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity ... who satisfies you with good as long as you live ... " Psalm 103:2,3,5. God is the source of all good things. We owe our existence to God. "In Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28. Thanksgiving is gratitude for all the good things God has done for us in the past, is now doing in the present, and will do in the future. God is exceedingly generous to His people and has given us many good things. He has made all the good things in the world and has given us His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior.
At the beginning of the holy Anaphora of the Divine Liturgy, the priest says: "Let us give thanks to the Lord." We respond, saying: "It is proper and just..." It is only fitting that we express our gratitude to God for all the good He has done for us. Thanksgiving is one of the primary themes of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. In fact, the word eucharist comes from the Greek language and means thanksgiving. The Divine Liturgy is the greatest prayer of praise and thanks to God.
Sorrow for Sin
Have mercy on me, God, in Your goodness; ... Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.: Ps. 51:3,4. When we do something that is wrong, we often experience a sense of guilt and regret. Sometimes we come to realize the wrong we have done only when someone points it out to us, or after we have reflected on our actions. A sense of guilt, regret, and sorrow is called compunction. Contrition is good and healthy when it leads us to turn to God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. Authentic sorrow for sins includes the firm intention to avoid committing sin in the future.
Petition & Intercession
''Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you ... Your Father in Heaven will give good things to those who ask Him." - Mt. 7:7,11. As Christians we know that God is the source of all good things. We also know that we have many needs in this life -needs of soul, mind and body. In our needs we often turn to God for help. Asking God for help in our .bodily and spiritual needs is called petition or supplication. We should entrust to God all our difficulties in life. "Cast all your worries upon Him because He cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7.
"I urge, first of all that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving should be offered for everyone, for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live peaceful and quiet lives with all devotion and propriety.'' - 1 Tim. 2:1-2.
When we were born we became members of a family and of society. We were then baptized and made members of a holy community, the Church. Like a body, the Church is made up of many members and each part is dependent on other parts. Because of this, our relationship to God is not merely a private matter. We aren't supposed to think only about our own personal needs and desires, but also about the needs of others. Intercession is praying to God on behalf of (!thers. As members of society and of the Church, we should have concern about the needs of those around us.
Attitudes in Prayer
In addition to the words we say, our attitude is an essential part of our prayer. The following are basic attitudes we should have when we come to God in prayer:- Reverence God is all-holy, all-pure, and almighty. To Him we owe worship and honor. Therefore, when we come into His presence in prayer we must do so with humility and great respect. "Come, let us adore and bow down, and let us bend our knees before the Lord who made us." Psalm 95:6.
- Humility Humility is recognizing who we really are, with all our strengths and weaknesses. Humble persons recognize that God is infinitely greater than they are, and admit that they are weak and sinful creatures. "He is our God, and we are His people, the sheep of His flock." - Psalm 95:7.
- Attentiveness Attentiveness is being alert or aware of what we are saying and doing in our prayers and in the ceremonies of the Church. We should also be attentive to what God may want to communicate to us as we pray. "Speak:, Lord, Your servant listens!" (1 Sam. 3:9).
- Receptivity Receptivity is an attitude of being open to God's will. This means that we do not come to God in order to tell Him exactly how He should fulfill our desires. We have to be open to God's will, even if He might not answer our prayers in the way we think best. This is part of what we mean when we say: "Thy will be done." In our prayer God might reveal to us what He wants us to do. Again, we should be open to His will, even if it might go against our plans.
- Patience God knows the right way and time to answer our prayers. We have to trust in God's goodness and wisdom, and patiently await the fulfillment of our prayer. To be patient in praying we must first have an attitude of openness to the will of God. "Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; ... wait for the Lord!', Psalm 26:14.
Kinds of Prayer
There are different kinds of prayer. Prayer might involve both words and actions (as in liturgical prayer), or primarily the use of words (vocal prayer), or one might be silent in prayer. This silence is not only external (not saying prayers out loud), but also internal (avoiding thoughts and the use of imagination). In all ways of prayer, however, it involves the lifting up of the mind to God.
Prayer is a very profound way to experience the presence of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit moves us to lift our mind and heart to the Father, and helps us to not only ask for what we need, but to also acknowledge Him, listen and give thanks. Developing a proper attitude helps us to recognize who we really are and to be more open to His will in our lives.
"Nothing can be compared to prayer. Prayer makes possible what is impossible, and it makes easier what is difficult." - Saint John Chrysostom - Reverence God is all-holy, all-pure, and almighty. To Him we owe worship and honor. Therefore, when we come into His presence in prayer we must do so with humility and great respect. "Come, let us adore and bow down, and let us bend our knees before the Lord who made us." Psalm 95:6.