Prayer

As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:16-17)

How can we define prayer? It begs to be explained and to be broken down into digestible parts that are easier for us to swallow. Unfortunately, the more we break it down, the more complex it becomes. We strive to compartmentalize something that is simplicity in itself. 

It can be said that prayer can take on many forms; there are different ways of praying. It is described as conversation; an activity of speaking and listening, encompassing petitions and patient hope. It can be attention and focus on the Word in meditation and sacred reading. Prayers may also be intercessory, where we pray for our brethren, putting their concerns before our own. Even quiet (or loud) praise and thanksgiving for all God’s blessings; this too is prayer. These are all aspects of prayer; in fact there are many more ways to pray. As God made us all individuals, we as individuals may have our own style or method that falls under the basic forms, but prayer itself resists classification. It seems to be a myriad of concepts but it is rooted in one thing that is also simple yet complex: Love.

Clarification rests in the essence of prayer; it is a voice from the heart that cries, “Here I am Lord!” It is the answer to God’s question, “Where are you? (Genesis 3:9), that resounded in Eden and still echoes today. We acknowledge His presence, and turn ourselves to face Him. With the first utterance of “Lord, hear my prayer”, “Dear God”, or “Our Father”, our focus has been shifted. We cry out and He is here. Of course He has been here the whole time, it is we who wander and roam or hide. Prayer is about returning to the Father: answering His call within ourselves.