Essentials of Prayer

 Tips for effective mental prayer

It is not easy to pray. Most of times we just make noises on our knees. John Damascene had a definition of prayer that has become classical. He said, “prayer is an elevation of the soul to God”. In prayer, the soul leaves everything and ascends to God to converse with Him. This conversation is none but prayer. In this conversation there are four things that we do. First, we adore God. Second, we ask for pardon. Third, we give thanks. And forth we beg for grace.

Prayers are important in life. They are a key to the graces that God prepares for us. Prayer cultivate piety in us. Prayer, create a union with God. Prayers makes us grow in virtues of faith love and hope. In short, prayer makes us grow in holiness.

Actually, prayer is not only a precept it is a necessity: it is general law given by our Lord as he said in Mathew, seven, seven; Ask and it shall be given to you. Even St. Augustine knew that pray is a necessity when he said, the body is nourished by material food, and the interior man by prayer.

Generally, our prayers can vocal or mental. Experience displays that we are more acquainted to vocal prayers and less to mental prayers. In essence, mental prayer seeks a deep relation with Christ. Seek to create friendship where one is free to talk to him like a close relative. It is not easy but not impossible. According to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, only four steps are required for an effective mental prayer. The first one is reading, the second is meditation, third is prayer of petition and the forth us contemplation. He says “reading seeks the sweetness of beatific life, meditations find it, prayer ask for it, contemplation tastes it. Hence, seek by reading and you shall find by meditation; knock by prayer and the door shall be opened to you by contemplation. 

By Frt. Bernard Lubuva