What I need to pray

While away the other week I got up early most mornings to spend some time in prayer. It was easy to do and fruitful. Where we were staying had a small prayer chapel that was space dedicated to 24 hour prayer.

As you entered the chapel there was a bowl of water sitting on a table by the door to bring to remembrance one's baptism. Inside there was cross positioned in the middle of the room with some rugs, pillows and Scriptures scattered around. There were pictures, readings and even what looked like a confession with a chair and very thin veil. It was a quiet, still and dark place which made it easy to pray. I hate to use this word, but the way the room was "decorated” (arranged, setup, planned), made it very inviting to pray.

It was good to get up and pray each morning. It was weighty to walk in one morning, cup my hands in the bowl of fresh, clean water and pour it over my head. It was comforting to kneel at the cross and unload. It felt good to cry before God.

When coming home I resolved to continue this practice of getting up early and praying.

That was then and this is now. Admittedly, I have only prayed this way a couple days since being back. The timing is hard to manage. You see, on days I have to be at work early I just get up a half hour early. No kids to worry about. It is quiet, still and dark. But, I have to be more intentional about this time so I don't fall back asleep. Having some prayers to read or maybe just praying some Psalms would be better than just praying freestyle. On the days I off of work or don't have to be there early, I have to figure out how to get up before the boys. This can be quite a challenge not know when they are going to wake up. It seems once any one of them is up, all meditative and contemplative time or space disappears.

I can see why we are told in Matthew 6 to go into a closet or inner room to pray. To have a special space to pray, a space that facilitates meeting with the Godhead, a thin place between heaven and earth enhances prayer. While in the prayer chapel someone had created this space for me. Now, I need to figure out how to do it my self. It is not that prayer becomes more effective in these sacred places, but it makes it easier for me to give myself to the discipline of prayer. Prayer becomes more purposeful and deliberate. It becomes easier to prayer.