How do you pray? (all religions welcome!)

[AFWife]

I mean You personally.

Do you do something special or specific? I'm curious...


For me I have to meditate prior to really getting into prayer. I feel like I have to center myself before I can really connect with God. (Christian God) I feel weird sitting cross-legged with my hands palm up...but I get distracted if I don't clear my mind first and it's the only way I know how.

[Tradd]

Well, I'm an Orthodox Christian.

We have some sort of prayer or icon corner in our homes. Might be in LR or BR.

This is mine on top of a small bookcase.http://www.flickr.com/photos/churchl...7621814401207/

I do morning and evening prayers in front of it - we have prayer books we use. Prayers at other times, too.

The Orthodox also use the Jesus Prayer - "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." We often count on a circle of knotted yarn or cord, to help us count and concentrate. The closest equivalent would be the Catholic Rosary, but we only say the one prayer, not a bunch of different ones like with the Rosary.

The Orthodox believe in the union of body and soul, so praying for us is also a very physical experience. The sign of the Cross, bows, prostrations, etc. It can be quite the workout during Great Lent!

[AFWife]

this is probably a really dumb question...but what's the difference between Orthodox and "regular" Christianity?

[Tradd]

Posting from iPhone...Orthodoxy is eastern Christianity. Most folks recognize it better with the ethnic label... In my case that's an American daughter of the Russian Orthodox Church. You see Lilyka around here a lot. She's Greek Orthodox. Exact same faith but national churches were established that are in communion with each other. Have you heard of the Great Schism in the 11th century between the Roman Catholic Church (western Christianity) and the Eastern Orthodox (Eastern Christianity)? Well, that was the first big split, before the reformers split off from Rome about 500 years later.

Too hard for me to type much more on iPhone on
my work break, so your best bet for the time being is to go check out wikipedia.

Also the very ancient prayer stance is to pray standing with your arms out and palms up- known as the orans position. Pictures have been found on the walls of the roman catacombs of people praying in this position.

[lilyka]

quick break down of the three branches of Christianity.....first there was the Church. o nly one. then the East and the West parts drifted away from each other, seperated by language, culture and distance. then they begin to fight and the west (Rome) seperated from the East (Constantinople, Jeruselem, Greece, Moscow and Antioc - thats spelled wrong...and one of those do not belong, but for the sake of making this quick...) the West is what we now know as the Roman Catholic Church and the rest are *the* Orthodox Church. So we are now 1000 into church history. a few years later a group of Catholic broke off in protest for one reason or the other (and groups broke off from them and from them and from them). This gives us all the protestant churches. A few churches have broken off from the Orthodox church but they generally stay pretty close to home.

anyway, i do not pray as often as I should. I do make an effort to pray daily with my children. we should face East but I face the children lest we have issues.

while I wouldn't say I meditate before praying we do start with prayers designed to help us lay aside the world and move into a place where we are before God without distractions and where we have done the work of setting aside ourselves and can now open up to God from a better place. people give me a lot of grief about using a prayer book but I think it really helps me to step into the presence of God while checking my sinful self serving attitudes at the door. Not because it is better for God but because it is better for me.





*the* Orthodox Church - not to be confused with churches who randomly attatch the word Orthodox to their name, declare themselves as Orthodox or use it as an adjective to describe their beliefs. I didn't mean that ion a prideful way but there are a lot of "orthodox" that are not Orthodox. does that make sense?

[honey-lilac]

I'm Onycan. In really short it's... Abrahamic pagan?

I pray four times a day in a set manner, at our home altar, once facing in each direction (in various positions from standing to kneeling with forehead to the floor to standing again), focusing on one aspect of God's creation via the elements. (Not praying to the elements of course, but to God.) If I'm out of the house at the appointed time I just skip the prayers, I don't kneel down in public or anything like that, but I might just say a short prayer anyway in my head.

We also pray simple blessings before eating and sometimes (if I remember, I try to get better with this) when we use one of the elements we thank God for providing it. Such as, when using the water to wash our hands, or the dishes, or water the lawn, you'd say thanks to God for it. Or for fire it would be turning on the heat in the winter or turning on the stove etc. Also say a thanks/blessing when seeing things like rainbows or blooms in the spring or anything beautiful.

As far as praying FOR stuff... I tend not to do that. It's not "moral" for us to do so; God already knows our needs and it's considered almost rude to ask for them. Although there's a distinction, in that, I often just talk to God in a conversation format and say something is pressing on my mind I just let it out and say "I really want this to happen" but with the understanding that I'm stating what he already knows, not asking for it. That all said... when DH was in Iraq I spent hours, hours every night on my knees in front of a candle and incense begging for him to be kept safe, so I guess I kind of failed at the hypocrisy there. And actually I believe those prayers had power because there's some interesting stories he has which definitely had a supernatural element. But I ramble.

I like meditation as well, prayer beads and the like, but I don't really use them too often now. I have a couple of lovely prayer bead sets and various prayer to use for them but I just never get around to it. One day soon I hope, I think they're a beautiful tradition.

Hmm, this is a little off topic, but has anyone seen a movie... oh gosh what's it called. Sukkot, maybe? It was in the Judaica section of Netflix, and it's an Israeli movie about an Orthodox Jewish couple who have an interesting holiday. Anyway, what I remember now in this whole movie is the scene where the wife is praying. She's an actual Orthodox Jew so she's already religious, but in the movie it shows her having this lovely, wonderful conversation with God and telling him how much she loves him and then dancing around. It was so honest and sweet and REAL that I still think about it to this day. It was like God was her beloved friend and she just had to talk to him.

[honey-lilac]

Originally Posted by lilyka

anyway, i do not pray as often as I should. I do make an effort to pray daily with my children. we should face East but I face the children lest we have issues.

[christianmomof3]

Well, the Bible tells us to pray unceasingly. I don't. But then, I don't think I know anyone who really does. However, if we are to pray uncesingly it should not require meditation or a specific place (because then we could never leave it) or props or anything like that.
The only thing we do unceasingly is to breathe and our prayer should be like breathing.
I sometimes pray out loud - which I do think it better and I usually start out saying "Lord" or "Oh, Lord Jesus" and then just speak to the Lord. Other times - since we cannot pray out loud everywhere (because if we were walking around doing that we might get committed and locked up or something), I pray silently. Sometimes I just call upon the name of the Lord - just to contact Him and touch Him and feel Him as my peace. Sometimes I praise Him. Often I just say "Lord Jesus, I love you!" Sometimes I petition Him and ask Him for something or ask Him to be my peace or guidance or patience or strength or whatever it is I am in need of at the moment.
To pray is simply to contact God.
For those of us who are redeemed and regenerated believers, He, as the Holy Spirit, dwells within our human spirits and we only need to turn our hearts to Him to touch Him and enjoy His presence.

[Nabbe]

I am a muslim, and this is how I pray: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcDGQsVgigo

[doubledutch]

my prayer is more of a meditation i guess in that it's silent 99% of the time and typically not very verbal even in my head. i usually express gratitude, but i do ask for help in a pinch (usually with finding something) although i'm trying to move away from that. i feel ridiculous asking for things, even safety/protection. instead i try to be actively thankful for our safety, health, well-being, secure home, etc. i also tend not to 'repent' so much as be thankful for help in recognizing a flaw and working to correct it.

otoh, i do try to 'send energy' for healing, in support of a laboring woman, to comfort a friend during a loss . . . and that's very similar to prayer for me, except that i'm doing instead of saying/asking. another thing that falls into the same category for me is the singing of certain songs in order to try to bring something about, or other rituals. i guess all these things are done in the same mindset, maybe?

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by Nabbe

I am a muslim, and this is how I pray: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcDGQsVgigo

^yeah this^

thats how we pray TO god

we are encouraged to ask of god as well, we believe that god loves to be asked of because he is the only one who can give/do ______. it means we're realizing that everything is from god. anyhow, i usually do this after i do the prayer mentioned above, but also at other times in the day, when i remember

[CherryBomb]

I'm Catholic. My favorite and most fruitful form of prayer is divina lectio. Basically I start by "meditating" to clear my mind and just sit with God, becoming aware of His presence. I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to be with me as I read the word of God. Sometimes I have a specific verse or book in mind that I want to read, but usually I just open the Bible and start wherever. I read slowly and delibrately, listening for the Spirit. Sometimes I don't feel God is drawing me to anything in particular, but most times I do. My most profound moments with God have been experienced this way, it's really amazing.

We do daily prayers, morning and usually afternoon offerings, table blessing before meals, and at night Our Father at least with the little girls. I really love the Rosary, but since I usually have to do it after the girls are in bed, I'm so tired I have a hard time concentrating (or end up falling asleep!) Usually I just do one or two decades.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by CherryBomb

I'm Catholic. My favorite and most fruitful form of prayer is divina lectio. Basically I start by "meditating" to clear my mind and just sit with God, becoming aware of His presence. I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to be with me as I read the word of God. Sometimes I have a specific verse or book in mind that I want to read, but usually I just open the Bible and start wherever. I read slowly and delibrately, listening for the Spirit. Sometimes I don't feel God is drawing me to anything in particular, but most times I do. My most profound moments with God have been experienced this way, it's really amazing.

This is amazing. I'm going to borrow this and give it a try next time I get a chance...I've been feeling VERY lost and confused lately.

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by Amatullah0

^yeah this^

thats how we pray TO god

we are encouraged to ask of god as well, we believe that god loves to be asked of because he is the only one who can give/do ______. it means we're realizing that everything is from god. anyhow, i usually do this after i do the prayer mentioned above, but also at other times in the day, when i remember

that is beautiful. I always feel bad asking God for stuff because I figure, he will just gove me what I need and I need not ask for more or but when you put it that way it is quite a beautiful thing to ask Him specifically for what I need. Thank you so much for sharing that!

[Magelet]

Originally Posted by Kaleanani

Hmm, this is a little off topic, but has anyone seen a movie... oh gosh what's it called. Sukkot, maybe?

The movie was Ushpizin, and I definitely loved watching them pray in that movie as well.

Originally Posted by christianmomof3

Other times - since we cannot pray out loud everywhere (because if we were walking around doing that we might get committed and locked up or something), I pray silently.

well, I do I walk around praying out loud sometimes. Then again, everyone here is so weird, it would be hard to particularly stand out.

Originally Posted by CherryBomb

My favorite and most fruitful form of prayer is divina lectio. Basically I start by "meditating" to clear my mind and just sit with God, becoming aware of His presence. I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to be with me as I read the word of God. Sometimes I have a specific verse or book in mind that I want to read, but usually I just open the Bible and start wherever. I read slowly and delibrately, listening for the Spirit. Sometimes I don't feel God is drawing me to anything in particular, but most times I do. My most profound moments with God have been experienced this way, it's really amazing.

I'm not catholic, but that definitely seems like something I might try. asking G-d to guide me to passages He thinks would be good for me. Thanks.

I pray in a lot of different ways.

I do sometimes do the sort of... "traditional" davening, which is a prayer service, three times a day (I only occasionally do this, mostly holidays) with a prayer book and set prayers. I say what I know in hebrew, but usually read the english. I find singing in hebrew far more moving though. Sometimes I find this moving, but sometimes I don't. Usually I find it moving at services on shabbat, but not so much in a small group (ok, I think that the prayer leaders in our young adult small group are not the greatest, or at least, they pray in a very different way than is good for me. all talk, little song lol.)

I have a prayerbook I like for interest and thought, but I don't really pray from it. I don't have one I pray from really. Most of my prayer is more from the heart.

Sometimes its a moment of feeling G-d's presence or connected to G-d, while lighting shabbos candles, or dancing, or in nature, or walking down the street, or doing anything.

Sometimes, when something is in my heart, I call out to G-d. I talk to G-d. When my heart is very heavy, I will call out to G-d, cry out to G-d, beg G-d for help, scream out my sadness or fear or anger or embarassment or anything. There have been times when I'll be sitting on the floor, pounding the ground, bowing up and down, screaming and sobbing my problems to G-d. When I'm feeling less dire, I'll talk to G-d, just a regular conversation.

Often, I'll sing to G-d. This is the one I do most often while walking down the street of any prayer out loud. (Crying and sobbing and calling out to G-d really requires a private space, its too vulnerable to do in public). Whether I'm moved from joy, from gratitude, from wanting to bless G-d, from fear, from sorrow, or just a desire to feel G-d's presence, I'll sing. I don't usually have a song already in mind though sometimes I'll sing a prayer song I've sung before. (I rarely write them down though). Usually, I sing the words that come to my lips. Eventually they form themselves into a refrain and verses. Some phrases I repeat over and over.

I also say traditional prayers at various points in time, for instance over the shabbos candles or saying kiddish, benching birkat hamazon (praying the prayer after eating), shehechiyanu (a prayer of thanks for special moments, it literally thanks g-d "who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment." or something similar (thats a translation which are never perfect). Sometimes these are said at proscribed times (shabbos candles for example) others, mostly when I feel inspired to (shehechiyanu. which can stand in place for many other blessings such as those upon seeing the ocean, seeing a rainbow, all sorts of things, if you don't know them. I'd like to learn them eventually.)

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by Magelet

Sometimes its a moment of feeling G-d's presence or connected to G-d, while lighting shabbos candles, or dancing, or in nature, or walking down the street, or doing anything.

Sometimes, when something is in my heart, I call out to G-d. I talk to G-d. When my heart is very heavy, I will call out to G-d, cry out to G-d, beg G-d for help, scream out my sadness or fear or anger or embarassment or anything. There have been times when I'll be sitting on the floor, pounding the ground, bowing up and down, screaming and sobbing my problems to G-d. When I'm feeling less dire, I'll talk to G-d, just a regular conversation.

I do some of these things. not shabbos candles, but we light candles before dinner sometimes and it puts in mind to say prayers of thanksgiving. and i have not recently screamed, but my cries of internal longing and pleading could take that tone (if silently). sometimes in my prostrations especially i get very very teary. Nature definitely inspires prayerfulness in me.

when taking time for personal prayers, setting aside time for that purpose, i start by centering myself, stilling my mind. usually i then pray to be open to guidance. i sit in the silence awhile, and it often brings me peace. (often tears, too, but i am going through an intense spiritual seeking time.

sometimes when I read a holy book (or even a book about a spiritual journey) it sets me off to turn to God and ask directly. for example, in the Qur'an (2:7) it says "Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing. And on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they incur." and one day it touched me on a very deep level and i cried out, please do not let my heart be sealed, let my heart and ears be open to guidance, do not let a veil fall before my eyes.

[Nickarolaberry]

Originally Posted by Kaleanani

.

Hmm, this is a little off topic, but has anyone seen a movie... oh gosh what's it called. Sukkot, maybe? It was in the Judaica section of Netflix, and it's an Israeli movie about an Orthodox Jewish couple who have an interesting holiday. Anyway, what I remember now in this whole movie is the scene where the wife is praying. She's an actual Orthodox Jew so she's already religious, but in the movie it shows her having this lovely, wonderful conversation with God and telling him how much she loves him and then dancing around. It was so honest and sweet and REAL that I still think about it to this day. It was like God was her beloved friend and she just had to talk to him.

It's called Ushpizin. Which means, guests. It's traditional during the holiday of Sukkot (which incidentally starts this weekend and lasts 8 days) to welcome some of our patriarchs, spiritually, into our sukkah (little hut). It's also very much the thing to welcome guests of the present human form .

"Orthodox" (sorry Lilyka!) Jews pray at least 3 times a day in a set manner (from a prayer book). We do this facing Jerusalem -- so, east if we live in the western hemisphere or anywhere west of Jerusalem. But we also can pray any time, either by just 'talking to G-d' of course (as was the heroine of the movie) or by saying Tehillim (psalms) from a psalm book. In Israel and in very religious communities, it is quite common to see religious Jews seemingly muttering to themselves on the bus, in a waiting room, on line, or whatever. They are generally saying Tehillim. (or, if they appear to be talking to their food, they are saying a blessing over whatever they are about to eat).

[lilyka]

Nickarolaberry - I hope I didn't offend you. I just meant for the sake of a very condensed church history that the Orthodox Christian Church is different from other Christian churches who just wake up one day and decide they are orthodox. it is an adjective versus proper noun we get to be whatever we declare ourselves protestant thing.....None of which are related to Orthodox Jews Ok I have officially said the word orthodox too many times........

[BMG580]

Honestly, my most "fruitful" prayer times, when I feel most connected to God are when I am sitting in Adoration and I quiet my brain to the point that I am literally just sitting in the presence of God. I feel like I am more receptive and open if I am listening, if that makes sense.

I pray in various ways, usually it is on the fly to be honest. I do say daily prayers at night and try to say the Rosary in the car while driving while listening to a Rosary CD. I have done novenas in the past but not for awhile. When we get settled into our new house I do plan on having a quiet place specifically for prayer. Whoever mentioned above about being directed to pray unceasingly, yes, that is true but I think you are missing the point of having a dedicated prayer space. It doesn't mean that you can't or are unable to be prayerful at other times, it is simply a place that allows you to quiet your mind and focus on your intention of prayer rather than becoming distracted (as I'm sure we've all done during prayer!). Having candles, prayer cards, crucifixes, etc. are NOT necessary for prayer but they definitely can add a dimension to focused prayer and should not be discounted.

[Nickarolaberry]

Originally Posted by lilyka

Nickarolaberry - I hope I didn't offend you. I just meant for the sake of a very condensed church history that the Orthodox Christian Church is different from other Christian churches who just wake up one day and decide they are orthodox. it is an adjective versus proper noun we get to be whatever we declare ourselves protestant thing.....None of which are related to Orthodox Jews Ok I have officially said the word orthodox too many times........

No offense taken! I was joking, actually. But I totally get where you're coming from. Kind of like catholic, as in universal, vs. Catholic with a Capital C.