Do Our Prayer Styles Attract or Repel? (BJRE085)

Do Our Prayer Styles Attract or Repel? 

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2024) 

I knew about St. Augustine’s conversion, but had never heard of his three conversions. While reading Pope Benedict, I learned about them. Augustine’s first conversion involved turning from his sinful, worldly path to accepting Jesus and His teachings. He then joined the Christian community but became disappointed with it. Their prayer styles felt dull and unappealing, which led him to leave. Later, he encountered the congregation of St. Ambrose, which offered a beautiful, uplifting experience that brought him heavenly joy. Augustine fell in love with that Christian community and its practices. That was Augustine’s second conversion. 

Many people come to appreciate Jesus and subsequently seek a Christian fellowship. However, the groups they encounter often dishearten them with their prayer practices. Nowadays, we need spaces and groups that facilitate a “second conversion,” embodying a transformative love for a genuine community with meaningful prayer. The issue is that they find few such options available.

Praying together doesn’t have to be dull. 

St. Paul expresses a practical idea: “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (1 Cor. 14:26) Nearly two thousand years ago, Paul contemplated how the gathering of Christians can be beautiful. There must be 1) entering into God’s presence, 2) awareness of the body of Christ and those present, 3) participation that energizes the community, and 4) cultural adaptation by "reading the signs of the times."

Remember how we prepare for our ordinary get-togethers. You invite guests home for an evening, take children on a picnic, or have a birthday party. You plan and strive to make them creative and memorable. But not for prayer time. People often think, “You can’t touch prayer time. I cannot plan it because it must follow a certain way. Some leaders or preachers should organize it, not we joyful and creative people.” And what is the result? Prayer becomes so dull, and it's the part people want to skip.

Do not separate spirituality from culture.

The Renewal in the Holy Spirit was a radically freeing experience for me. What stood out was the freedom to pray as my heart led me. I could be spontaneous and creative. In other settings, during Mass and the rosary, I could only recite prayers, but here, I could smile, speak freely, clap, and shout, with all of that being a form of prayer or rejoicing in the Lord. 

During our Wednesday prayer gathering, we participated in engaging activities and assisted people in finding liberation through prayer. We also explored questions about our prayer practices. Many individuals hesitate to question how they pray, but we felt free to do so. As a result, we discovered that free praise is not merely about shouting; it is about the liberty to pray as the Spirit guides us. We also learned to pray and sing in the Spirit and began to use tongues in genuine and enjoyable ways. These expressions were approachable, even for newcomers.

One more thing: early in our renewal walk, we had very authentic leaders to guide and challenge us. Fr. Fio’s practical tips helped us be simple yet spontaneous in our prayer meetings. Fr. Marcelino would say, “When you pray or sing in tongues, give one ear to the Spirit inside and the other to the voice of the community.” Fr. Gino used to highlight, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Ps. 100:1; 66:1); prayer should not be an irritating babble.

Your style of prayer is the true test.

“How you pray reveals who your God is!” The Catholic tradition of prayer is rich in variety and creativity. It does not always address God directly, but when others are present, you speak to them about what God is doing, saying, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” In the Holy Mass, the Priest tells us, “God be with you!” and we respond enthusiastically, “And with your Spirit,” in a conversational tone. The Church proposes the Angelus three times daily, mostly expressing Bible verses. Consider another prayer, the Way of the Cross. Children enjoy it because it primarily involves activity combined with reflection. However, some are eager to make it dull by including lengthy prayers. In the great wisdom of Mother Church, she takes Jesus’ instructions seriously and avoids lengthy prayers or unnecessary rambling. Thus, within the Church, all aspects of spirituality are continually reflected and renewed, especially prayer. Moreover, the most splendid memorial of worship that Jesus left for us is feasting around the table, eating and drinking. 

“You say intercession should be interactive and creative,” Jose called me one afternoon. This evening, different groups will intercede online. How can we do it in a lively and relevant way?” I was pleased by the question because someone was seeking new ways to pray. It reflects the sentiment of saying, “Lord, teach us to pray!” That night’s intercession was for Manoj’s surgery; everyone joined online to pray.

I said that prayer should not involve using many words to convince God or convert Him. It needn’t be loud shouting or a matter of counting the number of prayers. “Your Father knows... before you ask Him” (Mt. 6:8). Instead, intercession can be a joyful journey for a loving and interactive group asking God for guidance on our needs and sharing with one another about what God speaks.

“Why not approach the intercession in a ‘conversational tone’ instead of a ‘prayer tone’? Perhaps people could share their gratitude for what Jesus has done in their lives through Manoj and then offer a brief prayer as the Spirit leads. Start the prayer time by explaining this new approach and its rationale. Additionally, the sharing should be concise, limited to just one point.”

After the prayer, I heard it went very well, and everyone was enthusiastic. Jose said, “The plan was for one hour, but we continued for three hours, and no one noticed the time. It was great!” I am sure, at least for a few, that would have been their “second conversion”: Praying together can be beautiful; it can be an experience of the love and beauty of the Body of Christ.

Topics:

Prayer styles

Conversational prayer

Intercession

Creativity