A reflection offered by Frank Beazley, Director of Spiritual Care

July 2008

Prayer is freedom and affirmation growing out of nothingness into love.
Prayer is the flowering of our inmost freedom in response to the Word of God.
– Thomas Merton 1973

It is rather appropriate to think of our prayer experience to be flowering especially at this time of year when summer is getting into full swing.  Merton’s words are relevant in any season as we try to grapple with life’s vagaries and variables.

Prayer is a personal moment in a specific time that reflects either a desire for a relationship with God or an existing relationship with God.  For the Christian community, baptism is the first step in that relational journey of prayer that can lead to self-discovery, awareness of God’s presence, peace and grace.

For those who walk the journey, but are not in full communion with a Christian community or Church, they should be assured that God’s love transcends all human barriers to enable the individual to hear God’s will.  Prayer is a powerful instrument of God’s unfailing and unconditional love for all humankind.

Prayer is our private and individual time to speak to and develop relationship with a Creator who is always listening and always understanding.  It is important to acknowledge that, in prayer, we can give thanks and also petition for certain graces; of course we may not always get what we want. 

God will provide us with what we need and this will be done through the people we meet each day, even some who we do not know.  Because of this, we must be attentive to what God wants for us; we need to listen carefully to the answer to our prayer especially when it is not what we expect.  God’s logic is not our logic.

This summer as you walk in the sun’s warm rays or under an umbrella in a not-so-warm rain, take a moment to consider prayer if it is not a daily routine in your life.  For the prayerful, let your thoughts focus, however long or short, on those of our sisters and brothers whose lives might be empty of prayer, empty of a God relationship, empty of seeing and experiencing the power and peace of prayer.  Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to envelop those in need of a prayerful life that they may be moved from a sense of nothingness to a deep inner awakening of God’s presence.

Remember prayer is free, you will not get a busy signal and there are no roaming charges.