Dedicate Yourself to a Life of Prayer

Prayer and work is the monastic mantra. These are our vocations, with Prayer first. We dedicate ourselves to prayer. We pray first. Pray in all things. Pray at the end. Prayer is being purposefully in God’s tender, loving presence. In prayer thoughts, emotions, and words can move in both directions.

In our life of prayer, we enter the community of the saints. When we are praying, we find ourselves with all who were, are, and will be. It is through prayer that we seek and find God. Every moment of prayer enters the eternity of God. We pray from our depths within. We pray in silence and with words. We pray with one another. Prayer weaves and infuses itself into the work of our life. Pray until your heart and spirit never cease to pray, and then join in.

Our dedication to prayer shapes our lives. It is here, within the school of prayer, that the Holy Spirit does the refining work of God in our lives. It is within prayer that we hope with God for the salvation of the world. With time, it is prayer that will satisfy us above all other things. Prayer is the only thing that can sustain us. Jesus was sustained by prayer. He would leave to pray alone. He invited others to pray with Him, and for Him. He prayed before He was arrested. Jesus prayed from the cross. Prayer is how our Lord calls us into His presence, His peace, and His love.

As Urban Monastics, we are committed to praying the divine office twice a day, fasting once a week, and partaking in the Eucharist. Each of these is prayer. Let this be the foundation of our dedication to prayer. From here, we dedicate our moments and days to prayer. We give ourselves to prayerful practices that tend to, and enrich us. As we walk with God through the days of our lives, prayer is the only thing that can sustain us. It is only prayer that will bring us into intimacy with God.

When we are praying, we exist in the present moment and the unending eternity of God. We are not alone in silence and isolation if we pray. Whenever we turn toward God in prayer, we find God waiting for us. God is there for us in prayer during the calm and tumultuous seasons of life. God is ever our companion. No matter where we are, prayer brings us into the refuge of God. This refuge is shaped like the cross and smells of the sweetness of salvation.

Our Father, who is in heaven,
    hallowed be Your Name.
Your kingdom come,
    Your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

• Praise God for the ways that He has been present in your life of prayer.
• Reflect on the things that keep you from prayer, and ask God to help you pray more.
• Who in your life could you invite to pray with you?
• What is something the Holy Spirit is drawing your attention to, or teaching you right now?
• What ways have you experienced praying ‘until your heart and spirit never cease to pray’?
• Make a brief list of things the Spirit has recently taught you in the school of prayer. Reflect on each one and treasure them in your heart.
• What does it, and could it, look like for you to pray as you work?
• Reflect on the ways that your life is shaped by your life of prayer.
• Meditate upon the satisfaction you experience with God in prayer.
• Choose a type of prayer, and meditate upon the love God has given you for it.
• Praise God for your normal, mundane, and regular experience of prayer.
• How are you doing on dedicating yourself to prayer? What can you celebrate? Where can you improve with Christ?