Prayers

[Inner Stickler]

I realize that not everyone who posts here is religious and in fact, my own faith has waxed and waned but no matter how far I fall from organized religion, I find great comfort in prayer. I found a few prayers the other day that I shared with Loki and Marsilia in chat and I'd like to share them with you as well. And if there is a prayer that you find particularly please feel free to share it as well. My definition of prayer is rather loose so don't worry if it's not in a traditional format.

The first prayer came bundled with a quote from the Book of James: If a brother or a sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "go in peace, keep warm and eat well,' but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:15-16

I pledge to be a peacemaker, so that I may say, "go in peace," to a world that is more peaceful.
I pledge to serve the poor, so that I may say, "keep warm and eat well," to a world that knows more comfort and less hunger.
I pledge to work for economic justice, so that I may say, "be prosperous," to a world whose trade is just, whose aid is well placed and whose debts are forgiven.
I pledge to put my faith into action, so that when I say "I follow Christ," the world might see and believe.

The second prayer is apparently a Franciscan blessing.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep in your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.


There are a lot of prayers out there that glorify God in whatever form the pray-er likes but these prayers are calls to action and I think that's what my life needs.

[Zuul]

Um. Well. I'm kind of...weird. But here are the things I recite for my own brand of inner peace and strength:

"No man is my friend. No man is my enemy. Every man is my teacher."

"Today is a day of completion; I give thanks for this perfect day, miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease."

[Inner Stickler]

The first one is very zenlike, isn't it?

Dory is actually a very nice model for life isn't she? Always happy, despite living in a world that is continuously new and scary to her. Just keep swimming, indeed.

[Zuul]

It sounds silly, but I've sung that song through panic attacks and managed to calm myself down. Sometimes all we can do is "just keep swimming."

[Inner Stickler]

I don't suffer from an anxiety disorder but the idea of 'just keep swimming' has helped me deal with frustrating situations. It's like the quote from Churchill, "If you're going through hell, keep going!"

[jali]

I'm glad that you've found comfort in prayer. If it helps you find peace, then I'm all for it - for you.

[OneCentStamp]

I'm glad that you've found comfort in prayer. If it helps you find peace, then I'm all for it - for you.

I think there's something to this. artifex, for example, says prayers even though I don't think she believes there's an anthropomorphic deity listening at the other end of the line. The prayers, and the ceremonies that usually acompany them (she is Jewish) bring her peace, comfort, and a sense of continuity with ancient tradition.

I think it's self-deluding - and sometimes dangerous - to pray believing that the prayer is going to directly alter the material world, but the prayers in this thread are little different than the Buddhist mantras that my mom's temple use for meditation.

Hooray, agnostic prayer!

[artifex]

I think there's something to this. artifex, for example, says prayers even though I don't think she believes there's an anthropomorphic deity listening at the other end of the line. The prayers, and the ceremonies that usually acompany them (she is Jewish) bring her peace, comfort, and a sense of continuity with ancient tradition.

Jews in general don't do an anthropomorphic God, and I in particular take a rather mystical approach. I tend to envision God not as a discrete entity but as sort of the sum of all existence. And so no, I don't think anyone's listening as it were; even if I did think that, I tend to see it as hubristic at best, if not scary, the idea that God would change the world's order because you asked God to. It would make the world a capricious place to me, not to mention the popularity-contest-ness of it. ("If 1,000,000 Join This Prayer, God Will Let Someone Live!")

So, prayer. In addition to, as OCS noted, being a connection to a long tradition, I think of it as a personal thing, in that it benefits the individual person who is taking that time to reflect on life, to be thankful, to identify what they want to change, to be calmed and peaceful.

[Zuul]

It would make the world a capricious place to me, not to mention the popularity-contest-ness of it. ("If 1,000,000 Join This Prayer, God Will Let Someone Live!")

...now all of those Facebook groups make so much more awful sense.

[artifex]

One thing I wanted to add - Jews have really specific blessings. Birkat Hailanot, for example, is the prayer of gratitude you say the first time you see trees blooming in spring. To me this not only creates a sense of continuity and the cyclic nature of life (cue up "Sunrise, Sunset...") but it reminds me to be mindful of time, of the passing of life, hopefully in such a way that I won't look up one day and wonder where it all went.

[OneCentStamp]

To me this not only creates a sense of continuity and the cyclic nature of life <. . .> but it reminds me to be mindful of time, of the passing of life, hopefully in such a way that I won't look up one day and wonder where it all went.

*swoons*

[Zuul]

I was thinking of this thread today, thanks to this poem:

Oh Lord, let me not be one of those who writes too much;
who spreads himself too thinly with his words,
diluting all the things he has to say,
like butter spread too thinly over toast,
or watered milk in some worn-out hotel;
but let me write the things I have to say,
and then be silent, ’til I need to speak.

Oh Lord, let me not be one of those who writes too little;
a decade-man between each tale, or more,
where every word accrues significance
and dread replaces joy upon the page.
Perfectionists like chasing the horizon;
You kept perfection, gave the rest to us,
so let me earn the wisdom to move on.

But over and above those two mad spectres of parsimony and profligacy,
Lord, let me be brave, and let me, while I craft my tales, be wise:
let me say true things in a voice that is true,
and, with the truth in mind, let me write lies.

[The Original An Gadaí]

My mother swears by the simple "Jesus, Lost and Found" for when you lose something. Its mantra-like quality is useful when you're stressing about finding something.

[Angua]

One thing I wanted to add - Jews have really specific blessings. Birkat Hailanot, for example, is the prayer of gratitude you say the first time you see trees blooming in spring. To me this not only creates a sense of continuity and the cyclic nature of life (cue up "Sunrise, Sunset...") but it reminds me to be mindful of time, of the passing of life, hopefully in such a way that I won't look up one day and wonder where it all went.

This all sounds very similar to the philosophy of Ismaili Islam (the branch of Islam that I belong to). An emphasis on the spiritual, but also to balance material and spiritual, to look on life as a journey and be mindful that each day is one that cannot be regained.

We don't take to the idea of an anthropomorphic God either, or an "interventionist" God either. That's why we have reason, intellect and minds. To take care of our own problems!