Prayer meandering
I was on an eight-mile hike in a local state park. I was by myself and didn’t have earbuds in because I wanted to enjoy the peace. (Something my nurse practitioner said about lowering my cortisol levels: “blah, blah, blah.”) While hiking, my thoughts meandered all over the place.
I had intended to use some of the time to talk to God in prayer, and I did, but then I would realize my mind had drifted again. I would start praying again—and soon that train of thought would derail and I’d realize that, yet again, I’d gone silent. For miles, that cycle continued over and over.
I felt a little guilty, probably because it sometimes feels like there’s a certain kind of pressure when you pray, right? When I pray, I’m talking to the King of the whole universe, so sometimes I act as if he’s holding court and I only have an allotted time to speak. I start to think I should probably have a list, and though I don’t have to be short, I should be to the point.
A new way to look at prayer
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of a hike that my daughter, husband, and I had taken in Utah in May. As we were headed up to a spectacular mountain lake, sometimes we would talk and sometimes we were quiet. My daughter is an ultramarathoner and (obviously) much faster than I am, so at one point I offered that she could turn it into a trail run and go ahead of us. She responded with, “This isn’t about a trail run. This is about being together.”
Well, that memory changed how I viewed my prayers. Yes, God is my King, but he is also my Father, which means I have access to him at any (and every) moment. As a bonus, his Son, Jesus, is my friend, and his Spirit lives inside of me—and everyone who believes too.
Another name for Jesus is Immanuel, and it literally means “God with us.” That means God’s whole reason for sending Jesus to earth is to be with his people—forever and always. So he’s okay if we talk to him for a little as we’re walking, and he’s okay if we are quiet for a little too. It’s all about being together with God.
A prayer bonus
Nothing is better than being with God, but science has found some good news connected to the time you do spend praying to God. MRI and EEG studies have shown that prayer and religious chanting can activate regions of the prefrontal cortex involved in attention, self-regulation, and emotional processing. Researchers have also observed changes in brain areas associated with fear and stress responses. These findings suggest that regular, contemplative prayer may help strengthen emotional regulation and resilience.*
Don’t know what to say when you pray?
Check out the book Talking to God: 166 Prayers for Your Life.
Linda Buxa is a writer who apparently didn’t listen to her whole no-phone-on-a-hike policy because as this idea came to her, she dictated a bunch of thoughts—while hiking—into her Notes app.
*https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7732428
