A few years ago I began cutting my teeth in contemplative prayer by reading, incessantly I might add, a small work by a humble monk named Brother Lawrence. That book was Practicing the Presence Of God.
The labor of prayer is a labor of love. It takes skill, determination, honesty, and a relentless faith in the face of overwhelming odds. It has been said that prayer is the highest labor in God’s kingdom. It is the foundation of all spiritual life and the only way to stay steady in the faith. It is a power wielded by even the weakest saint and a tool that can be picked up by a toddler or a mystic for the very same purpose, oftentimes with the very same result. It is enjoyable and trying, easy and difficult. Prayer is work… and it pays so well. For those who take it up as an occupation it can be a source of extreme frustration. One who has committed to 8 hours of prayer a day is tested intensely after hour one is over. Pressing in, it seems, is not an easy lean.
Through the years I have found the words of the Apostle Paul to “pray without ceasing” both an encouragement and, more than a few times, a scourge. How can this be, this unceasing life of prayer? If it is a command then surely I am breaking it, and horribly at that!
But it is not just an act. Prayer is not only a duty or obligation. It is not necessarily even words. Prayer, for all intents and purposes, is an attitude. Can I pray while I’m eating, working, playing? Can I pray while I blog and write and study? The answer; of course I can… if I am conscious of His presence. My heart is in tune with Him through all hours of the day if my life is one of agreement with Him in all I do and attempt. Prayer is easy in that it is born of the spirit and led by Him for our benefit. It is a challenge, however, in that we must submit ourselves to it in all things. Thank you Brother Lawrence, for your insights and thank you Lord, that you want this more than I do and are committed to teaching me until I learn.
WATCH & PRAY 