The prayers I heard growing up in a Christian Church were both classical, like the Lord’s Prayer, and contemporary, like the casual yet earnest communication with God that includes what we are thankful for and what we would like to receive.
The Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful, concise mantra of truth, especially when the various meanings implied in rough translations are stripped away, and one hears it through the lens of non-duality.
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven” : Creator, who abides in Eternity
“Hallowed be thy name” : Always and forever, Oneness IS.
“Thy Kingdom Come”: May the Reality of the Changeless be seen and known
“Thy Will be done”: Beyond the illusion of duality, only God’s Will Is.
“On Earth as it is in Heaven”: To Know Divine Will is to experience Heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread” : Ask and it is given,
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”: All is forgiven and released.
“Deliver us from evil”: May we see the truth and let go the ego,
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”: All that remains is Love, Eternally.
[Please Note: I am in no way attempting to rewrite or alter the Lord’s Prayer. I am offering my own “translation” or interpretation reflecting how I hear what Jesus was saying. The original Aramaic this prayer was first spoken in is indeed rich with meaning and depth far beyond what the classical English translation portrays.]
Does prayer require a bowed head and hands together? Is prayer a list of supplication to a force greater than our own? How many ways are there to pray?
In its essence, prayer is spiritual communion with God.
Prayer is a joining with the Eternal Oneness of Divinity within.
Prayer is a surrendering of our little will (the ego) and giving space for Divine Will to Be.
Prayer is validating the Oneness, Wholeness and Eternity of Spirit. It is giving our heart and mind to Spirit, and receiving the Miracle, the transformation of denial into Truth.
Prayer is living with God at the center of all things, because that is the truth.
Prayer is having God’s Grace and sharing it with the world.
Prayer is a song sung in pure adoration of the Eternal, changeless, indivisible, Giver of Life.
Prayer is a dance of total Love for the Divine in All.
Prayer is a holy act in every mundane moment: the acknowledgment of God’s Presence living in us and through us, Spirit guiding and healing us, Love restoring and inspiring us, Grace holding and fulfilling us.
Prayer is an undivided mind.
Prayer is a heart of wholeness.
However you pray, and whatever form you give to prayer, it is your Awareness of Love that empowers that prayer.
If your prayer is a supplication, it is having self-forgiveness that opens the door to receiving your request, and yet, you will receive what is best for you and your next steps in fulfilling your purpose.
If your prayer is a celebration of gratitude, it is a gift of healing, restoring the reality of your wholeness.
If your prayer is a vision of what you are creating, it is a powerful act of receptivity to miracles.
If your prayer is a mantra of Truth, it is a welcoming of Presence into your heart and mind.
If your prayer is communion with the Earth and it’s Beauty, it is a healing reunion with that which supports your soul, sustains, nourishes and restores this earthly body.
If your prayer is one moment, several moments, or every moment, if it is a choice to remember and have your True Self, it is the only prayer you ever need. When prayer flows from this foundation, it is a natural expression of your love of Life and That Which Gives Life. It is a beautiful communion with and communication of the Wholeness of Spirit, the Miracle of Life, the Power of Love and the Joy of Being.
This is how we pray without ceasing: living life as a prayer, in celebration of and in service to That Which Gives All.
