Together on the Journey:
A Weekly Blog 

This Sunday, we will welcome the Rev. Jo Davies, my dear friend and colleague, as a guest preacher to talk with us about prayer. Jo is the chair of the Bishop’s Committee on Healing Ministry, and I’m sure has much to teach us on prayer and its role in healing.

And as we prepare to welcome her, I got thinking about prayer in my own life, and the different ways it has supported me over the years.

Prayer can feel overwhelming, and many people are unsure where to start or worried they may get it wrong. But I have news for you, you can’t get it wrong. There is no right way or wrong way to pray. In fact, prayer is not even something you do at all. Instead, prayer is something we let God do in us. It’s opening ourselves up to allow God’s grace in.

And this can be done in so many ways. There are liturgies (written out prayers) we can use, we can pray spontaneously and say whatever is on our hearts and minds, we can sit in silence, or walk through the woods, or make art, or listen to music. Prayer can literally start from anything, as long as you start by turning your mind to God.

In chapel a few weeks ago, I was teaching the kids the basics about prayer, and I was using my favourite formula for prayer, which goes like this:

Help. Thanks. Wow.

It really can be that simple.

Help: What do I need? What do others need?
Thanks: What am I grateful for?
Wow: Looking around at God’s creation, what do I see?

So if you are new to prayer and have no idea where to start, start with ‘help, thanks, wow.’

And if you’re looking to delve a little deeper, one of my favourite books on the basics of Christianity is Being Christian by Rowan Williams. This little book is full of wisdom and has a fabulous section on prayer.

For me, how I pray is a complicated question because I pray many different ways depending on what season I’m in, how tired I am, or where I am. Right now, I am praying a lot in silence, or praying with scripture. I often pray compline in the evening before bed. But this may change, and that’s ok. Prayer is a constant companion, even if how you pray changes and evolves.

If you want to learn more about prayer, I will be leading a Pre-Advent retreat on prayer at the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine on Saturday November 21. Mark your calendars.

– Jess