How I pray
Recently, I’ve been working through “My Deepest Me” by Janice Lynne Lundy. The book is a workbook for 30 days that is designed to help us re-connect to the spiritual.
During the pandemic, I have felt disconnected from my spirituality. But I realize that I wasn’t as disconnected as I thought — it just changed.
Today’s journaling in “My Deepest Me” is about how we pray.
In “A Book of Pagan Prayer,” Ceiswir Serith says that we pray to talk to gods. I’d expand that to prayer is talking to all spirits, not just deities.
I realized that I pray in little bits every day. I greet the sun and the moon when I see them. I caress the trees as I walk by. I take a moment to just be. Some days I pray more formally — with ritual and candles at my altar. But many days I just talk to Spirit.
Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated, or scripted. It can be as simple as looking up at the moon and saying “Hail to the Moon” … or even just “Hi Moon.” As long as you are in the moment and making an intentional statement, it works. If you’re not feeling very in the moment, pre-written prayers can be useful too!
Serith has a lot of great prayers in his book. I also suggest searching the web and seeing what you find there. ADF, AODA, and OBOD all have great resources on their sites. Rev. Jan Avende also ran a #prayeraday event on Instagram and Facebook in November for the last few years.
As an experiment, I asked ChatGTP to share how a pagan can pray in their day-to-day life. It actually had some good advice:
[Start ChatGTP text]Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Wake up and give thanks: Start your day off on the right foot by giving thanks for the new day. You can simply say a quick prayer of gratitude or even just take a moment to appreciate the sunrise.
- Say a prayer before meals: Before you sit down to eat, take a moment to bless your food and give thanks for the nourishment it provides.
- Give thanks for the small things: Throughout the day, take notice of the small things that bring you joy and give thanks for them. It could be as simple as a beautiful flower you see on your walk or a kind word from a friend.
- Meditate or visualize: If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a few minutes to meditate or visualize a peaceful scene. This can be a great way to connect with the divine and find inner peace.
- Go outside: One of the best ways to connect with the divine is by spending time in nature. Take a walk, sit by a tree or a body of water, and let the natural world remind you of the beauty and power of the divine.
- Keep a prayer journal: You can also record your daily prayers, your thoughts, and your experiences in a journal. This can be a great way to reflect on your spiritual journey and see how your prayers are being answered.
Remember, prayer is a personal practice and there’s no one right way to do it.
[End ChatGTP text]So … how do you pray?
