Steemit Vision Quest #19: How To Pray?
The prompt for Steemit Vision Quest this round is "How To Pray." That is sort of the very issue I am wrestling with, so please allow me to ponder in print a bit. You will notice the prompt has a period, my post has a question mark. I am sharing, not commanding, just to be clear...
I believe WHO we pray to is more important than how we pray. I know that religions are happy to start full blown wars over what name their gods go by. I am not sure what the Creator's name is but I know how I was told to address that Divine Energy: A breath. Breath is what gives us life, connects us to the Divine and for me, disproves the atheism arguement. There is SOMETHING outside of myself that cares enough about me to continue to breath me even on days when I do not really have the will to keep breathing on my own. I cannot stop my breath by my own will, I will pass out and resume breathing. I can hold my breath and it soon becomes obvious that I am fighting the will of something far more powerful than myself. For me it is clear: That which gives me breath is where my prayers are directed.
As for how I pray? I committed many years ago to use that sacred breath to speak truth to the very best of my ability at all times. I have been chastised for not being loving enough but I am not one who finds "white lies" to be a "loving" thing. A lie is a lie. If someone does not love you, would you prefer they lie to you and say they do? I would not. I find the notion of love without truth is not at all sacred and it can be downright evil. Truth is the sacred thing, truth is worth fighting for in a world of deception, and truth is not always warm and fuzzy. To paraphrase Mark Passio, of course truth is belligerent, it is at war with the lies.
The spoken word is incredibly powerful. It takes our sacred breath and gives it vibration and carries our thoughts to others. Every word we utter should be given the due thought one would give when casting a spell. If we must pray aloud, than I suggest to consider every word your prayer.
I prefer the method recommended by Jesus, to pray in private. I am never comfortable at that public "Let us pray" moment... I do not wish to be disrespectful or ornery but I am not sure who those people are praying to. I know a LOT of people are praying to a God who is referenced on our currency. Now, the people who PRINT that currency had a specific god in mind when they cast their spell. Many, many people have fallen for the spell of that God and his currency. I do not really want to pray with them, and I do not really have the ability to explain to them why in the heat of the moment.
This morning I walked out and took a deep, deep breath under these skies and reveled in the glory of the Creation. THAT is how I pray. I have tried to write a prayer, been trying all summer. This is all I've got:
Singing "Aho" soft and low I call to my relations
Walk beside me and guide me through this manifestation.
Send the wisdom and blessings of Seven Generations
Help The People live in harmony with all Creation.
Thank you to @cabelindsay for this continuing Spirit Walk. It has been incredibly motivational, forcing me to take a little time each week and at least check in with my spirit, make sure it is not withering away inside me! If you would like to participate too, here is the link for this week's challenge!
Thanks for participating in this. Feels like a stretch, speaking openly about something so intimate. I'm with you in tending toward the private way, although I also participate in Catholic-style prayers, i.e. Hail Mary, where we are all praying in unison. And I also participate in the prayer rounds of tipi meetings and sweat lodges, in which we speak our own individual prayers aloud, often visualizing them too with smoke, often while others sing. So many different styles of praying, and I find each one to have its own special qualities.
And thank you for calling the Vision Quest a "Spirit Walk"–I feel the same way about it. I've noticed that the more I pay attention to the spirit realm, the spirits, and Great Spirit, the more connected I feel, the more inspired I am... Recently I started making a daily "spirit plate," offering food and water as a way of acknowledging the spirit world with us, as I believe we are all spirits visiting this material world. With that in mind, it feels good to say hi to that other side of life, and to perceive their special "hi" in return through the hummingbirds, the flowers, the dewdrops...
We celebrate your Creative Spirit, and we appreciate your entry in Steemit Vision Quest.
Thank you for sharing your short prayer. I think more will come to you.
Many of us are much more comfortable with spirituality than religion. With our own relationship to our Creator and the earth. Thanks for this post
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