Prayer is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in him...who loves us, who is near to us.
Thomas MertonRead
However one might pray - in any verbal way or completely without words - is unimportant to God. What matters is the heart's intent.
Interpretation
The way we communicate with God is less important than the sincerity of our intentions.
This quote emphasizes that the formality or style of prayer is secondary to the true feelings and intentions that come from the heart. Whether one prays verbally or silently, what truly matters is the authenticity of the sentiment behind the prayer, underscoring that genuine intention is what connects us to the divine.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a spiritual gathering to emphasize the importance of genuine feelings in prayer.
Prayer is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in him...who loves us, who is near to us.
Too often we treat prayer as the preparation for the work of the church. Do you not see? Prayer IS the work of the church.
In prayer, we stand where angels bow with veiled faces. There, even there, the cherubim and seraphim adore before that selfsame throne to which our prayers ascend. And shall we come there with stunted requests and narrow, contracted faith?
Let me say that it is not a question of us getting more of the Holy Spirit, but rather of the Holy Spirit getting more of us.
The words were unexpected, but so incisively true. So much of prayer is like that - an encounter with a truth that has sunk to the bottom of the heart, that wants to be found, wants to be spoken, wants to be elevated into the realm of sacredness.
If we really want to achieve true prayer, we must turn our backs upon everything temporal, everything external, everything that is not divine.
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