Continuing to Explore the Mystery (Of Prayer?): – #7

I confess to many years praying intercessory prayers to a deity,  many years confessing my wrong doings to a deity, and many years  praying prayers of thanksgiving to a deity.  

These days when feelings swell inside me (that’s how it feels), I try to forget about what I’m doing and pay attention to my breath. A few seconds is all I usually manage but even that short time feels like a pause in the action.

Different things happen during this pause. At times an awareness of something more than what I can see or know arises and gratitude ensues. This pause can also be full of angst.  

Sometimes when I pause and note either what is happening outside of me or what is happening inside of me, thoughts of the old type of prayers come to mind and I wonder what I am doing.   

My description of what I am attempting sounds more clear than it  feels. I am exploring what prayer is in my life as we ponder these ideas together. I’d love to hear what you think.

I’m reading a book about a nun who was ordained in Thailand. One of her tasks is to note what is happening. Shortly after ordination she was instructed to be note what was going on fifteen hours a day. Maybe this “noting” is what we could call being in the present moment. Would she say she was praying fifteen hours a day?

 Do you think being in the present moment is prayer? Are most of your prayers asking for something? confessing something? expressing thanksgiving? Do you do something else besides prayer? What do you name it?

Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall