![]() Indeed, the times when I have most felt the desire to pray have also been the times when words have felt too small, too hollow, too empty. I have experienced this dilemma many times. Sometimes we have to work hard to find the right word, at other times they rush in abundantly.īut what happens when you have a desire to pray but you have no words with which to pray? Prayer doesn't always have to involve words. Sometimes the words we use to pray echo through the ages, at other times they are fresh and new. Sometimes they are accompanied with laughter, at other times with tears. Sometimes they are formal, sometimes colloquial. Sometimes these words are planned, sometimes impromptu. ![]() But despite their many differences, most prayers involve words. Our prayers may be simple or eloquent they may be deeply personal or they may repeat the prayers of others, perhaps those of Jesus or the saints. God bless you.There are many ways to pray: in church, at home, in nature, at work, on our knees, by our beds, at a kitchen table, in the car, with family, with friends, with strangers, alone. Thank you for posting your experience, it helps me to know other Christians are struggling with this experience of attack on their interior prayer life. One Franciscan told me to try praying out loud, but he and others have assured me that there is no issue with how loud the words should be. I've asked several priests about whether I need to make the words quieter, reduce the words, but they've all pretty much said not to worry about it to that level or trust in God. Do whatever works for you, I love the rosary, divine mercy chaplet, or try going to Eucharistic adoration, reading the gospel for strengthening. Push through it by persistent prayer and it feeling like you must not mentally pray fades away, but it comes back frequently. Please keep praying and trust in God - He is more powerful than the devil. I still struggle a lot with this intense impulse that I must not talk to God in my head, but when I don't pray I feel like something is starting to take over and control me/ my mind. All the priest's I've talked to have effectively told me or implied that it a temptation and that we need to keep praying - even if the devil could hear, it wins if you stop praying. To the person who made the comment about wondering if something can overhear your prayers and whether you can pray in your head (on ), I've been struggling with this fear for a long time too. Thomas Merton describes this kind of prayer as “finding one’s deepest center, awakening the profound depths of our being in the presence of God, who is the source of our being and life.” You listen at the core of your being to the deepest voice of all, the voice of God and of the Spirit. Similar to the “Prayer of Inner Quiet” is what we might call the “Prayer of Listening.” In this prayer, the focus is on listening to God, who reveals himself in our inmost being. “In one layer there are lots of words and thoughts going on, but on a deeper level, you are united closely to God.” When we feel drawn to silent union, it is good to go there and rest in God as long as the Spirit invites. ![]() “It’s like there are two layers of the psyche,” he explains. Yet he believes we should be conscious of those times when the Spirit is moving us to silence. In fact, Father Johnson cautions against striving too hard to get rid of words and thoughts. In many cases, prayers that rely on words may be the best form of prayer for us. At times, he says, we may feel led, as if by a hidden compass, into this kind of silent union with God. The natural drift of prayer is often from words to silence, according to Father William Johnson, SJ, who has written several books on prayer. It’s a matter of just being there.”įor example, we might start out with the reading of a short passage from Scripture, but gradually our words and thoughts simplify. God is present and you are present-to each other. You just silently stare, and there is a terrible presence between you. It’s just like when you love someone, you just sit there and you look at each other. And at the core of your heart is the indwelling of God. Several years ago, Dominican Sister Sylvia Rosell, from the Stillpoint House of Prayer in Albany, New York, explained it to me this way: “If you still your mind, you can hear your own heart. As the psalmist says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). What you and I may indeed need at this juncture is what some spiritual guides and writers call the “Prayer of Inner Quiet.” One of the richest forms of prayer can occur when the heart is absolutely quiet. I hope this blog will help you find the contemplative experience you seek.
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