![]() ![]() This is the center of Orthodox worship and prayer, its pattern and its inspiration, which then flows out into the week. ![]() If you want to keep your daily prayers on track, start somewhere else – with the Liturgy. I worry I’ll drop dead and arrive at the gates of Heaven and hear, “What?! You didn’t even say your prayers yesterday?” The Divine Liturgy I’ve got better in old age, probably out of fear. ![]() You can find this advice in any good book about prayer, so if you already know it and practice it, feel free to tune out now. What follows here are some other things I’ve learned over the years about the prayer life. It’s a never-ending struggle, and sometimes I lost. I discovered what to say when he came at me: “Satan, go to hell.” After that I usually made it into church. This is Satan’s most devious, pernicious work. Why was I not praying?įinally I realized what was going on: Someone was trying to keep me from praying. And there I had just spent 15 minutes of prayer time doing nothing. Did I think I didn’t have time? I had taught that “prayer doesn’t take time, prayer makes time” – keeps us more focused on what’s important, less inclined to waste time on trivia. I knew prayer gives us strength and perspective to cope with life, makes things go more smoothly. If he needed it, did I think I didn’t? I knew how prayer kept me united with God, “plugged in” so that my spiritual batteries wouldn’t run down. I knew how often Jesus withdrew for prayer. Then I would hurry in at the last minute and vest for the evening service. Or I’d check how the climbing vine in the narthex was doing. Instead there I stood outside the church door reorganizing the bulletin board which didn’t need it, or walking over to my office to straighten up my desk which didn’t need it – well, no more than usual. I had decided that each evening during Lent I would spend 15 minutes in church saying the Jesus Prayer. ![]()
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