Prayer is like breathing. It’s something that we have to do but it doesn’t totally depend on us. It’s not like we make a conscious decision to breathe. With prayer something similar is happening; we put in our part but at the end of the day it’s the Holy Spirit praying in us. It’s us and Him:
“Prayer is the action of God and man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father (CCC 2564).
The symptoms for not breathing would be pretty obvious; you change color and shortly die. The symptoms of not breathing spiritually can also be experienced, however maybe not so obvious. One finds himself “all over the place” starting many projects and finishing none, irritability, frustration, a slave to his whims. We go from one thing to another and never really settle down. Like a fish out of the water we “flop” around the dock frantically trying to find our life source.
Prayer is our spiritual air. It’s that oxygen our soul longs for: “My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God¨(Ps. 84.2)
To learn how to pray, remember the acronym: AIR.
ADORATION
INSPIRATION
ROSARY
Adoration is the best way to learn how to pray. It literally means “to the mouth” you are getting spiritual mouth-to-mouth recitation from the Holy Spirit. You literally face to face with God. Speak to him, open your heart up to him, be with him.
Inspiration. The Word of God is living and active. St. Jerome says that ignorance of the sacred scriptures is ignorance of Jesus Christ. We find Him in his Word. Start with the gospels and stop when you feel he’s inspiring you. Inspiration means “breath upon,” his Holy breath becomes yours when you sit in silence with his Word.
Rosary. Our lady is the best model to teach us to pray. Get a group together and pray the Rosary. It’s her favorite prayer. Remember that our Lord said when two or three are gathered in His name to pray He will be amongst them. (Mt. 18:20)
Get these three steps down and your soul will start thriving. You will stop flopping around all over the place and get into the depths of a profound grounded life in God, your life source.
Guest Author: Fr. Luke DeMasi – “My vocation is to be a gift that Our Lord wants to make to his Mother. I am totally Hers and my desire is one day to celebrate Mass as Her holy Priest, leading others to Christ through Her.”
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