Prayer: A Wrap-Up (for now)

During lent, I undertook an adventure of '40 ways to pray'. In actuality, as I included Sundays, it became almost 50, and as I reached the end of the time, I was aware of how many more styles there were that I hadn't tried, and how uplifting and fulfilling I found my challenge. So much so, that I was encouraged to try a similar path, looking at 40 ways to read the Bible from (Orthodox) Easter to Assumption.

Recently, I spent a day examining Myers-Briggs personality types (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator), finding out more about my preferred style, and how that relates to the type of prayer which works best for me. I wasn't all that surprised to hear that those with ENFJ tendencies (www.personalitypage.com/ENFJ.html), like myself,  find Salesian spirituality practices most effective (www.sfdsassociation.org/spirituality/5934-what-is-salesian-spirituality.html). In other words, enjoy the freedom of being able to pray in different ways, depending on the mood, context and situation, and are encouraged to spend at least an hour a day in prayer (if possible).

Seems I know myself quite well! I would't advocate spending huge amounts of time in prayer (there's not that much time in a busy life), but I would praise the outcomes of doing a Myer-Briggs test and researching the most popular prayer style chosen by each preferred trait. There is comfort and peace found in following a routine that works best for everyone, not following the general consensus or necessarily sticking with a technique taught at an early age. With 16 characteristics, and hundreds of ways to pray, the possibilities are endless.

Psalm 145: 18 (NIV)

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth".

Day 47 = Singing in the Streets

"Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!"

As my final prayer method for this year, I joined in the happy throngs singing in the streets. This is a much more Christian country than I expected. There were several groups regaling the passing public with their jubilant glee and thanksgiving. It didn't matter that I didn't know the words, language or church backgrounds, I could join in with the phrases that are practically universal across linguistic groups globally. I could share the smiles, joy and excitement of the singers and those members of the public who were excitedly creating their own jigs to visually accompany the beautiful lyrics.

It was a different experience from the chorale day I'd participated in, and used as a basis for my prayer, some days ago. This was more random, uncontained and stirring. I didn't know when I would encounter another similar group in the streets, and their delight at my joining in, unquestionably and without being asked, was paramount. What a happy way to celebrate the Lord's day! A once in a lifetime experience that will always be treasured. The unexpected gleeful corporate worship that one occasionally encounters is almost more precious than several planned hymns.

A beautiful time of celebration, and a wonderful finale to my prayer journey this lent. I didn't manage to use all the different methods available to me for prayer, and have several ideas for next year's further exploration. Many of my ideas were in some ways very similar and uniform, being based on my preferred methods of prayer, that of using my hands creatively in worship time, and revelling in the fabulous natural world that God has created incorporating water and high places. 

I look forward to adapting each of these methods more in the coming year and having the freedom to return to several of my more preferred methods of prayer, without the need to challenge myself to pray in a different way each day. I am also excited about experimenting with spiritual practices by researching more methods in preparation for next year's lentern progress, as well as creating more encounters with the word in my devotional time. Particularly in my next journey of discovery, an attempt to reproduce my lentern adventure with 40 days of different ways of studying the scripture, from (Orthodox) Easter to Pentecost.

I would never have guessed that there were so many different ways to pray before I began this quest, and yet, I am very much aware that I have barely scraped the surface with my antics this year. In the words of my priest, "whenever I introduce prayer at the Confirmation group, I give them a list of 101 ways to pray, as I realise that each person is different and what appeals to one may not be so attractive to another. There are, of course, as many ways to pray as there are people, if not many more".

Day 46 = Silence at the tomb

Holy Saturday has always to me been a day of quiet reservation from many activities and happenings, spiritual or otherwise. As a child with tent-making parents, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday was one where we entertained ourselves, mainly in or around the house, with few friends over and no expectation for a fantastic dinner or much family-bonding opportunity. It was the one day in the week when there wasn't any church services, special prayer times or visiting pastors. 

I remember as a youngster asking my Dad, 'so what happens on Easter Saturday?' (in the context of church, faith development or Christian practices), to which he replied 'nothing', and for years, this was a true and accurate statement of our diary. It's somewhat different now that I go to a more Catholic church, where there are lots more services and study groups on Holy Saturday, but for a reserved, charismatic girl like myself, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday will always be one where the lentern vows are relaxed and nothing much crops up to take their place.

So like several years that have gone before, Holy Saturday is one of absence of spirituality, a time of silent reflection, a stillness at the tomb. I didn't try any new ways to pray today, instead, spending my time taking in the sights and sounds around me and enjoying my holiday in a land where English language church services were practically non-existent.

Day 45 = "Take off your shoes"

And He said, "Draw not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground" - Exodus 3:5 (KJV).

This scripture has quite a lot of personal significance for me. As a teenager, I experienced the usual angst, fears and turmoil that most western kids go through in their growing up years, with the normal amount of feeling isolated and misunderstood, with the same challenges and confusions to get through en-route to becoming a fully-fledged adult. But each time, I encountered a situation which I felt too great to conquer, too big to overcome, too difficult to pass through unscathed, God would reach into my life and heart, and shake my emotions just that little bit to show me that actually nothing was too great for Him to help me through. And each time He did so, it was accompanied by this scripture and a desire to remove my shoes.

So, much to my comrades' glee and my authorities' wonderment, I wore flip-flops to exams for easy removal, flip-flops to the doctor's which I slipped off when asked to sit in that chair, flip-flops to friends' and family members' funerals, flip-flops to presentations, and even to church on occasion and my own wedding. If anyone was puzzled over why I wear flip-flops so often, in the winter, cold and on rough terrain, here's the answer. I still continue to wear flip-flops today, when I'm ill or visiting those close to death, unduly stressed or ecstatically delighted over an upcoming opportunity or special occasion. (I also wear them for non-spiritual comfort throughout the summer).

I don't feel that designated places of worship are the only areas which are holy ground; planes, trains, buses, schools, hospitals, exam halls and parks, to name but a few, can also take on that sacred quality. And each time I don a pair of flip-flops for easy removal and an unspoken, divine understanding, I remember God, feel closer to Him and have a greater motivation and reminder to pray more frequently and in a more profound way. I feel the prayer and holiness coursing through my veins, reaching all of my extremities and deep into my heart.

I had a lot of these experiences this week, what with my myriad illnesses and all-consuming moments of awe from riding several cable cars. There's nothing quite like the perspective of height to make me feel closer to God, not in the sense of being higher into the heavens, but brought about by the ability to see and take in a vast array of sights that God has created for our pleasure. So my method of prayer today was instructed shoe removal for the dual purposes of feeling more supported by God and getting the chance to become more affined with holy ground.

Day 44 = Strolling in a Temple

Having been raised in a country where Taoism is widely practised, I'm familiar with temples and feel at home taking a walk round different ones, watching people offering their prayers and after-life possessions, experiencing the eclectic mix of the sweet smell of incense, the stillness of Daoist worship and the vivacity of swarms of pray-ers entering the temple and adopting their chosen positions. There's nothing quite like a modern Taoist temple to stir feelings of nostalgia and home comforts.

More than the actual temples, however, is the appeal of the quiet gardens where those on the fringe of worship gather to collect their thoughts, seek space from a hectic lifestyle, and bond with family members from different generations. I've often spent time chilling out in the gardens around the temples, smelling the flowers that grow there, watching the fish swim and catching the odd musical beat of temple drums. Whenever I have time, and opportunity, I withdraw to one of these temples and have my own quiet time, with God.

Whilst on holiday, I discovered my favourite temple that I've ventured into, so far in my life. Bao'an Temple is that place. What with the refreshing breeze trickling through the gates and walls of the temple courtyard, the subdued sounds from the surrounding city bustle, the darkness where star-gazing is possible, the sparkle from the mosaics on the walls, the gentle patter of its man-made waterfall, the escape from others sitting at the top of the waterfall, and the rhythmic drone of passing aeroplanes coming in to land at the nearby airport, there is something quite special and ethereal about this place of worship, that surprisingly, doesn't extend to the attached temple building, but exudes and resides in the courtyard.

I spent a long time slowly wandering around the quad, seeing the ever-changing light-shifting of the koi, studying the differences in the results of artistic prayer, and becoming more at peace with myself and the world that God has created by savouring the smooth flow of water on the top of the rocks at the artificial falls. I had a good time of stillness and peace, listening to God and what He had to say to me at this time. I also used the screech of the landing gear kicking into place of each passing plane as intercessions for those around the world and who I no longer walk quite so closely with from my past.

Having grown up very close to one of the world's busiest airports, there's nothing quite as exciting, measured and comforting as a plane coming in to land. So, although others may see this action as an interruption and disturbance in a time of solitude and hush, it actually greatly enhanced my prayers, and the combination of airport proximity and water flow made this temple experience extremely precious. A place I could return to again and again if it weren't quite so far from my house.

Day 43 = Praying for healing

I was quite ill whilst I was away what with one thing and another, necessitating in a hospital visit (more on that later this week), a doctor's appointment and several pharmaceutical consultations. I felt tired, run-down and in pain for about three-quarters of my holiday, and didn't feel too great about it, as I was really looking forward to my adventurous travels. So as the drugs don't always work and not all the medical personnel know what they're talking about (I was advised to use After Sun on a number of occasions for a severe allergic reaction...), I turned to prayer and used my past experience and training to employ a different number of prayers for healing.

These included anointing, laying on of hands, getting others to pray for me, soaking in the spirit, using set prayers, praying in tongues and surrendering myself to God. I think the only method that 'worked' regarding healing was to relax and know that our Abba Father who created the universe and knows us all intimately is our all-mighty loving God who can heal if it's the right thing to do, and who never leaves us, giving us the strength to endure and overcome when we are at our weakest and lowest ebb. 

I wouldn't recommend going crazy with prayers for healing (as I did) - not everybody gets healed instantaneously. In fact, very few do. And in many cases, the lessons learnt and emotions experienced through knowing that we are mere mortals is greater than any quick fix brought about by miraculous healing. It's difficult to accept that not everyone gets healed, and that when people do recover, the process is largely aided by medical knowledge and drugs, and tends to be very slow and laborious. 

I was fortunate in that my illnesses were not much out of the way of ordinary things encountered in the course of a life. None of them lasted more than a month. None were terminal or severely, adversely affected me. I could overcome them (though I am still unwell at this point), and for the majority, could take pain-killers and get on with enjoying my holiday, leaving the process of recovery and check-ups to when I got back home and was within good access to a range of doctors, dentists and English-speaking chemists.

I missed the opportunities to be as adventurous on my holidays as others who took a similar journey were, spending my days sleeping, wandering around the old towns and swimming in pools, eating western food in expensive restaurants, but I revelled in the experiences of discovering more about my body, and learning more about faith and healing.

Friends of mine have been very ill in the past, and some have passed on at a young age. I don't know how they coped with the realisation that they weren't ever going to get well, and yet, in this knowledge, keeping hold of the understanding that God is no less powerful, miraculous or concerned about their lives. I have no definitive explanations to add regarding God's power, healing or the place of illness and pain in a committed Christian life, but I know that in the future, I will be quicker to relax, trust God and follow Him in every aspect of my life.

I will rest more, sleep more when the pain becomes too great to cope with, and save more of my energy to enjoying the 'here and now' rather than taking up many hours with research into various medical problems, treatments and methods of prayer for healing.

Day 42 = Praying over the world (literally)

Being the creative sort that I am, I found that one of my favourite methods of prayer so far that I've tried is to pray over the world. This is slightly different to the prayer over the world I used earlier in lent, when I held a globe in my hands, and prayed for countries that were impressed upon me at the time, as I'd heard stories in the news and personally, which I felt really needed prayer. This time, I used my geographical location to direct which places I would pray for. 

As I travelled from London to China, via the United Arab Emirates, and was quite literally shaken by my journey of 14 hours (excluding the stop-over) due to heavy thunderstorms covering the whole flight path (apart from when we were over Iraq), I prayed for the countries below me as well as those featured on my flight, e.g. the nationality of the airline we were flying and the passport countries of those sitting adjacent to me on the long hauls.

As I was sleepy from the night flights we were taking, my time of prayer was not a concentrated 30 minutes but over an hour's worth of compiled shorter time intervals as I was grabbing my seat on the white-knuckle parts of the ride and enjoying the fantastic spread of fires, mountains and sea below. My time of prayer included thanksgiving for the wonderful world which God has created, and the diversity of unique scenic places that together form a fantastic patchwork of sights, cultures and memories. 

I felt that, as always - on extremely bumpy flights, my faith was deepened as I considered my mortality, and I became more excited about the days and years ahead, in our adventure on earth. Whatever the future would bring us, we can know the intimacy of the God who loves us and lovingly formed us, therefore intimately knowing all our weaknesses. We can trust God to direct our paths into whatever countries and situations we feel called to venture into. And we can hope for the knees-up in Heaven when all peoples from every tribe, tongue and nation gather in one place in a massive celebration.

I found my prayer time tougher to guard and revel in as I was tired and felt ill at times; it's not as easy as when I have a large amount of spare time in which to plan and reflect upon my prayer time. I've always found the challenge to pray in the midst of bustle and busyness quite difficult to achieve, but equally, the ability to pray at all times and in, almost, all places, has never been too distant. I may not feel that a particular prayer time has been as useful and memorable as another, but I find it very hard to neglect prayer completely.

Day 41 = Praying through customs

Sometime, I will have a period of praying using different ideas and patterns from a range of denominational and faith backgrounds taken from across the world, and perhaps also, from across the years. I didn't have much opportunity, largely due to lack of cognitive creativity and time for consideration this lent, to research many patterns of prayer, incorporating only 'ghusl' and 'niizhwaaswi gagiikwewin' into my meditation times this month. 

I would love to have dipped into a much wider pool of traditions. Perhaps my aim for next year will be to explore more cultures and customs. For those looking for ethnographic inspiration today, perhaps try another website. My focus of prayer this Monday of Holy Week used an alternative definition of customs, namely, those gates encountered each time one enters a country.

As I was in the United Arab Emirates for a day trip today, I spent rather a lot of time trying to enter the country as there is a sense of calmness that exudes many areas across Abu Dhabi and neighbouring Gulf states, which extends to a complete stop on the need to rush anywhere or act quickly. Instead of becoming impatient and frustrated, I used the opportunity to pray reflectively on the scenes that were unfolding around me, both visually and in my memories. I again handed over my trip to God, asking that He direct my steps and lead me to where I need to go. 

I used images from the TV's unfolding report of violence in Syria and other countries to lift up to God the fears we have and the concern expressed, that we are often powerless to do anything about. I invited God deeper into my life and asked that He be encountered by all those who were crossing into the country ahead of me, taking time to remember also people across the world who were at that time, going through customs, in their localities with a vast number of concerns and a diversity of situations. 

Those who were relocating to different countries for job prospects, peace, safety, health, and to follow where they feel they were being called, for carrying the gospel into new lands, in the form of books, tent-making, the need to listen and understand, and humanitarian projects. I personally will never see or know all the situations that people find themselves in, but that doesn't stop me from lifting them to God and asking for His peace and protection over them all.

Unsurprisingly, I felt that my 90 minute wait to enter Abu Dhabi passed much more quickly after I started praying, and helped me to start my day off right. I had a wonderful day, meeting new people, experiencing little signs and wonders, and seeing more of this wonderful world that God has created, and in which we are privileged to live, and felt that my prayer time today was valuable and a unique step in my progress this lent.

Day 40 = Facing a 'thorn'

From the title, it may seem that I used flora again in my prayers today. The reality is somewhat different, in that I used the process of packing to stimulate and direct my prayers today. The thorn in this case, is a figurative thorn in my flesh, or an action that I find difficult and one which I incorporated into my prayers to both give me an extra boost in my meditation, and start to alter an act which I have some negative feeling towards, due to its close affinity with going to boarding school at a young age. (More on that another time!) So as I am off on holiday to Northeast Asia tomorrow for a month, and have rather a lot to pack, sort out and consider, I multi-tasked by using my obligatory evening's activity for contemplation.

It wasn't quite a case of thinking of God and dedicating my future steps in the interim future to Him, as I put things in my bag. It also involved listening to God regarding some of the upcoming events, asking for direction in what to pack, releasing my nervousness and anxiety over the holiday to Him, and making a more conscious break with previous negative experiences, realising that every action is a fresh start and isn't necessarily linked to a past event, nor that feelings have to maintain their grip on the blank slate of life that we are continuously writing on and adding to.

At the end of my packing and prayer, I still felt anxious and concerned about the upcoming month, not being able to shake a feeling that it would be very difficult and that I would really feel close to God in that time as I became increasingly aware of our dependency on Him, and the strength which exudes in our moments of greatest weakness and pain. I was particularly nervous over my return to a Chinese country since it wasn't that long ago that I lost a good friend over there, suddenly and unexpectedly. There would be many moments of facing unresolved grief and feelings of helplessness in the coming weeks, I was sure.

I think one of the main lessons I've learnt over the month of prayer so far is that we can use anything to bring us closer to God, and that different methods of prayer may very well be tied up in different mediums and materials available to us at any one time. It's not necessary to use a completely different pattern, introduced by various denominational and faith backgrounds, to feel that we're adventuring into a new way of praying and exploring a range of emotional and spiritual aspects of discussion with God. 

Can I think of 40 ways to pray? Yes, and more, if I use the widest definition of 'ways to pray' in the sense of incorporating different elements, actions and surroundings, rather than just limiting myself to publishedly distinct ways of praying as taught by some of the more conservative denominational groups I've been involved with. So many in fact, that I could probably use the same idea for lent the rest of my life, and continue to come up with new ideas, if given sufficient cognitive space.