Monday bulletin 19 June 2023
“Let us pray.”
What do you think or feel when you hear these words?
For some prayer can feel accessible and comforting, for others it can feel formal and difficult. And yet we are invited to pray not just in formal settings or on Sundays, but at all times and in all places. The key, I believe, is to understand prayer as a conversation with God, with listening and speaking, not just about words that others have written and we read out.
That said I find the prayers written at the end of the Psalms in our Daily Prayer app quite profound. And when I’m not sure what to think or say these set prayers sometimes capture the sentiment well.
For example, Psalm 117 says:
1. O praise the Lord, all you nations;
praise him, all you peoples.
2. For great is his steadfast love towards us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever. Alleluia.
The prayer that follows is:
Gracious God,
we praise you for your faithfulness
and pray that every nation
may find your blessing
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
There are lots of ways to pray. The important thing is you find a way that suits you. You are welcome to join us for Morning Prayer, weekdays at 9am on zoom, or talk to others about how they pray and what they find helpful.
Either way, may you know the help and assurance brought by time to talk and listen to God.
Comments