How does God speak to us? I suggested, in the last issue of this article, that He might speak to us in the new “insights” we get when we are praying or meditating. Sometimes it may be a verse from Scripture, a verse from the Fathers, a sense in our own heart, or intuition or conscience or just the peace of God. We must be open and ready for any way God chooses to reveal Himself, always willing to confirm the word with those who have a good witness in the Church. Although He can and might, we should not expect to “hear” Him speak to us in our predominant language.

Monologistic Prayer, or literally “the prayer of one thought” (the Jesus Prayer), helps us learn how to speak with and listen to God. What is most important is that we understand from the beginning that prayer is a matter of constancy and consistency, incrementally building our time with the Lord in a measured and regulated way. We do not want to pray merely so as to fulfill some sense of religious obligation. We do not want to pray so that we feel better about ourselves. God forbid! We want a living, life-giving relationship with our Creator and Lord Jesus Christ, to be sensitized to His voice and to true spiritual reality. This can only be achieved by humble, committed and patient prayer. We must always remember that it is the content of the humble and contrite prayer of the publican that justifies us: “God be merciful to me a sinner”. Prayer is not just a matter of the actual words said, but more so of the right and contrite disposition of the heart when speaking with God.

St. Theoleptos of Philadelphia (not in Pennsylvania) reminds us that we must never neglect prostrations if we are able to do them. The body must be included in this dialogue with the Lord. Our prayer needs to come from our heart, both the spiritual and the bodily. Through prayer, we journey deeper into the body, concerned with its true and real transfiguration, rather than escaping from it. Because the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we must transform it into a true and respectful Temple. It is through profound prayer of tearful contrition to the Lord that both the soul and the body are sanctified. Therefore we must never neglect prostrations as they help to bring the mind and body together before the Lord, creating a prayerful dialogue from our whole person.

Involve your whole person in prayer!