› ›

Deep Prayer

ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Often times, I try to pray and find that my mind is scattered left right and center, which makes it hard for the words I say to have any real value.

Does any one have any practical methods of calming the mind and heart so that prayers can flow better?

I'd like to hear all your thoughts on the matter.

ReturnOrthodoxy

Comments

  • mabsootamabsoota
    basically it takes lots and lots of trying!
    if anyone knows the answer, i am interested too!
    i just keep trying and it gets a bit better.
  • JoshuaaJoshuaa

    Meditation. It's like looking at an object and seeing everything about it's colour, shape, every single detail of it down to a little bit of dust that may be on it, and blocking out everything else that is going on around you, noises, other objects.

      So the same with what your reading, bible, agpia, or even studying our hymns. Take a sentence and put everything into into it. It's meaning in context and it's relationship. Look at the nouns and verbs. One says what something is and the other the direction it is going. But the important thing is to block out the other things that distract you. It's what monks do to focas on God through their meditation.
  • Severian
    I good tip might be going through exactly which prayers you are about to say before starting your prayer. Prepare yourself before you meet your Creator, that way you are not just making up your prayer rule as you go along.
  • apceviocapcevioc
    Also, try changing your bodily posture.  If you're sitting when you start your prayers, stand up.  If you start losing your concentration then, try kneeling for a time.  Then, if you feel the need, stand back up.  You can also do some prostrations to help humble your body and bring your wandering mind into submission to it and the words of the prayers.

    I also like to do some self examination before doing either the jesus prayer or the Agpeya prayers.  You'd be amazed how much prayer opens up once you've confessed all the things you did wrong during the day.
  • ShareTheLordShareTheLord
    [quote author=ReturnOrthodoxy link=topic=13666.msg159361#msg159361 date=1346182343]
    Often times, I try to pray and find that my mind is scattered left right and center, which makes it hard for the words I say to have any real value.

    Does any one have any practical methods of calming the mind and heart so that prayers can flow better?

    I'd like to hear all your thoughts on the matter.

    ReturnOrthodoxy


    Go to the monastery for a month :)
  • joegjoeg
    You will find that many of the saintly fathers will begin prayer with an appropriate hymn in order to prepare the heart and to put one in the right mindset to pour forth a deep prayer before God. There are many hymns of repentance which can make one feel reverence and awe before God.
  • apceviocapcevioc
    [quote author=ShareTheLord link=topic=13666.msg159372#msg159372 date=1346191940]
    [quote author=ReturnOrthodoxy link=topic=13666.msg159361#msg159361 date=1346182343]
    Often times, I try to pray and find that my mind is scattered left right and center, which makes it hard for the words I say to have any real value.

    Does any one have any practical methods of calming the mind and heart so that prayers can flow better?

    I'd like to hear all your thoughts on the matter.

    ReturnOrthodoxy


    Go to the monastery for a month :)


    Pretty much!  Prayer is really life-altering if you want to really do it.
  • markmarcosmarkmarcos
    The normal Fraction of the Son will give you the feeling of repentance. and awe toward God. just by thinking of the words.
  • JoshuaaJoshuaa

    I would like to go to a monastery for a month ShareTheLord. A month of heaven.
  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    Thank you all for your input. Ill try to do some of them.

    ReturnOrthodoxy
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    No man is an island to himself - John Donne

    Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. - Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

    Share the experience of deep prayer with someone close to you. You don't necessarily have to travel to a monastery. You don't have to pray alone because we are all interconnected in Christ ("koinonia", as the fathers called it). In fact, your frustration seems to occur because you're trying to pray by yourself. "Woe to him who is alone when he falls." If you're falling, then the easiest solution is to find a friend to help you up. Pray with someone who will help you and you will likely not fall. And if you do, you have help.
  • JoshuaaJoshuaa
    But Remnkemi, ReturnOrthodoxy is asking how to calm the mind for prayer. I know it is good to have someone support you and John Donne's statement isn't entirely true. As christians we can be by ourselves as long as we know we have God with us, as monks do. I've read John Donne and he is a great poet, but his observations were from what was around him.

      We are as adopted people and strangers so we are like islands that are welcoming and that other islands would like to conquer us but we know it is God who made our island, and as adopted we would like to find the true one who gave us birth.
  • SmirserSmirser
    GOD DON'T NEED YOUR PRAYERS
    BUT YOU NEED GOD TO LISTEN TO YOU
  • peter_saadpeter_saad
    [quote author=Smirser link=topic=13666.msg159548#msg159548 date=1346594832]
    GOD DON'T NEED YOUR PRAYERS
    BUT YOU NEED GOD TO LISTEN TO YOU

    Huh?
  • Severian
    [quote author=peter_saad link=topic=13666.msg159554#msg159554 date=1346616167]
    [quote author=Smirser link=topic=13666.msg159548#msg159548 date=1346594832]
    GOD DON'T NEED YOUR PRAYERS
    BUT YOU NEED GOD TO LISTEN TO YOU

    Huh?
    "For you are in no need of my servitude, but rather I am in need of your Lordship."
  • aidanaidan
    Sorry I'm late!

    One useful piece of advice given me by a monk, he said treat distractions as you would ping pong balls- bat them away! Don't beat yourself up when distractions come, just carry on with above advice.

    The Lord bless your endeavours.
  • TimothymTimothym
    One priest told me that prayer is a dialogue. If we speak to God for 10 minutes (from both set prayers as well as our own), we need to stop talking at some point and let God answer us back. This priest suggests 10-15 minutes of pure silence in a comfortable position such as sitting and allowing God to speak to us through the silence. Its helped me a lot but I have only been able to do so for a few minutes rather than 15. Its something to build up over practice and time.
  • ThyWillBeDone
    [quote author=markmarcos link=topic=13666.msg159391#msg159391 date=1346207590]
    The normal Fraction of the Son will give you the feeling of repentance. and awe toward God. just by thinking of the words.


    You stole the words right out of my mouth.  ;)
  • Heaven_is_my_GOAL
    edited September 2015

    Pray like a child! Tell God everything you have in your mind, things that you wouldn't share with anyone.  Say to God that many thoughts come into your mind and you are unable to overcome, ask for help from God.  Close you eyes and forget everything behind you; start by thanking Him.  "Thank you God for allowing me to stand before You, who stand before you thousands and ten thousands of myriads and archangels, and yet you listen and value your humble servant.  Thank you for allowing me to stand and pray even when my brain is full of distractions, please God help me to overcome these thoughts, and make them far from me.  Purify my thoughts, purify my body, and my soul.  Please Lord fill my heart and my mind with Your love.  (Tell Him the thoughts that are distracting you from Him.  Tell Him that you are weak and need Him.)  Keep thanking God for everything, your health, your family, your friend, your church, your house, car, job, your breath, thank for having a Bible, the food He gives you everyday, the lights, the air, the weather, and everything. The more you thank the more calm you will become. Imagine that everything that you will thank for you will keep (so if you thank for your house, then you will keep your house) this way you will thank God for everything you have. Tell God what you can't to anyone-like a child. Pray for other people (James 5:16). Through the intercessions of St. Mary, St. George and all Your saints and Archangel Michael and all Your angels, make me worthy to pray thankfully Our Father who art in heaven..."

    After praying/ talking to God, listen to what God wants to tell you. So read the Bible and do the sign of the Cross and say "speak Oh Lord for your servant hears" and read the chapter that you opened, Contemplate in it. 

    I guarantee you that after you do that you will not only be calm in your prayer but also in the rest of you day! And whenever any thought comes to you, say "My Lord Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

    Best of luck, and remember me in your prayer,

    (a weak servant that needs lots of prayers)

Sign In or Register to comment.