Active Prayer
Medieval carpenter in Guédelon.
Photo by Stefdn. [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
“Jesus, we must remember, spent most of his earthly life in what we today call a blue-collar job. He did not wait until his baptism in the Jordan to discover God. Far from it! Jesus validated the reality of God in the carpentry shop over and over before speaking of the reality of God in his ministry as a rabbi.
…Our vocation is an asset to prayer because it becomes prayer. It is prayer in action. The artist, the novelist, the surgeon, the plumber, the secretary, the lawyer, the homemaker, the farmer, the teacher – all are praying by offering their work up to God.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,” says Paul, “do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31) .”
“… We are also Praying the Ordinary when we engage in what Jean-Nicolas Grou calls ‘the prayer of action’. ‘Every action performed in the sight of God because it is the will of God, and in the manner that God wills, is a prayer and indeed a better prayer than could be made in words at such times.’
…"Each activity of daily life in which we stretch ourselves on behalf of others is a prayer of action — the times when we scrimp and save in order to get the children something special; the times when we share our car with others on rainy mornings, leaving early to get them to work on time; the times when we keep up correspondence with friends or answer one last telephone call when we are dead tired at night. These times and many more like them are lived prayer. Ignatius of Loyola notes, 'Everything that one turns in the direction of God is prayer.' . .
Richard Forster in ‘Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home’
"Fortunately, our everyday affairs have the inherent capacity to reveal the sacred. Yet, to discover God's immanent presence and rule, we must move beyond merely going through the motions of daily life. Approaching life mechanically and mindlessly creates a dullness of heart that interferes with our spiritual perception and discernment. Our challenge is to pay reverent attention to daily life with the full assurance that God will meet us in the ordinary and extraordinary. Our common, routine activities and situations can then become "sacraments" that reveal the mystery of God and His kingdom. Over time, as we gain in our ability to find God in the pleasures and problems of everyday life—and not simply in signs, wonders and spiritual experiences—we can gain a deep love and respect for God, creation and our own existence.”
Dr. Charles Metteer in ‘Recognizing God's Presence in Your Everyday Life’
Active prayer simply means praying with your body. Many people use postures and/or gestures while they are praying (eg. kneeling, bowing, raising their hands in the air). Another kind of active prayer is pairing your prayer with an activity that you already do. Some people might pray while they sew or cook, or walk for exercise. Any activity that you enjoy can become a time of active prayer as long as it is an activity that leaves your mind free to focus on God.
[Adapted from ‘Exploring Active Styles of Prayer’ by Jeff]
see: ‘From the Abbey’
