Say A Little Prayer

In the spirit of using this forum not as a hair shirt but rather as a kind of spiritual vitamin, tonight’s post will be simple so that I can get to sleep before my second wind kicks in!

This post from Busted Halo's Fast-Pray-Give calendar struck a chord this morning:

Lewis’s words ring true. “I'll pray for you” is a frequent refrain of mine. I believe that prayer makes a difference, as I have felt it work in my own life in powerful ways. I’m reminded of this statement by Kierkegaard: “Prayer does not change God; it changes the one who prays.”

Even with this strong belief, I’m not always sure of the best way to pray for those I’ve offered this promise. 

In my life, I’ve encountered lots of ways to pray. Prayer Classic: Kneeling beside the bed, reciting a litany of names. (It's been many years since I did that—time to try again?) 

Mealtime Mentions: Growing up, my mother introduced the practice of saying the “Our Father” after Grace to pray for special intentions. There was always a special intention—God bless my mom for managing to keep up this tradition daily for years in the face of a table set for five hungry kids. 

Prayer Over a Stove: On this subject, my father used to quote our parish’s legendary Mama Julia, an Italian immigrant who rolled hundreds of meatballs each year for the parish Feast. “Making a good sauce,” she would say, “is a prayer in itself.”

The Bare Minimum: A friend once told me that simply having someone’s name on your lips could be a prayer. That’s a practice I can handle.

For me, writing has always been the best prayer tool for me; it absorbs me in a way that little else can. So today I did write down a list of 10 loved ones and acquaintances whom I know need some extra support. The list will end up being much longer, I’m sure. I will keep these names in my mind and heart and on my lips.