I. PURPOSE OF THIS INSTRUCTION

To study the topic of prayer in so far as its definition, various forms and importance to growth in the spiritual life of a Legionnaire is concerned.

II. The Lesson

A. WHAT IS PRAYER?

1. A simple definition: "prayer equals communication", that is, communication with God and God's heavenly family.

2. Some points made by Fr. Gottemoller in How to Find Happiness.

   1. Perfect and lasting happiness is our goal. We need to recall what St. Augustine said: "You have made us for Yourself, 0 Lord, and our hearts are restless till they rest in You."

   2. Prayer is the road to happiness. Living a life of friendship with God is our highest happiness; the deeper the friendship the greater the happiness. That is why the saints were the happiest of people. And the happiness we find in creatures is but a sample of that which can be found in God.

   3. Not everything called prayer is really prayer. Much of it is only a preamble to prayer. This is especially true of many Eastern forms or techniques of prayer. Christian prayer is essentially the establishment of a relationship with God, a friendship, a personal relationship based on the reality of who God is and who we are. ...Hence, prayer is not just knowing and loving, but also a living. That is why the reality and the quality of one's prayer is best known from the way one lives his or her life. As we read in Matthew 7:16, "You will know them by their fruits."

   4. Prayer and the life of prayer are not exactly the same thin& although all prayer should tend to a life of prayer in keeping with those words of our Lord, "Pray always." Most Christians pray on various occasions, but a life of prayer brings our relationship with God into the whole day.

B. WHY PRAY?

1. Considerations from Sr. Christina Marie's book, An Introduction to Carmel.

   1. Modeled after Carmel, the Legion of St. Michael's special charism is an orientation to a life of prayer.

   2. St Teresa of Avila says prayer is a door that opens up to the mystery of God and at the same time furnishes us with the means of communing with Him. Why open the door? The answer is quite simple. Jesus places within us a thirst, so immense that no human relationship or pleasure can assuage it.

   3. Prayer is the soul of our Carmelite life. It is only through prayer that Carmelites can establish a way of life that invites and opens their being to be permeated by the living presence of Jesus!

   4. Prayer is rooted in our own uniqueness and it is influenced by everything that is part of us or surrounds us: our heritage, culture, background, health, education, mood and environment.

2. Reflections on prayer and living a life of prayer from Fr. Meschler's book, The Three Keys to Heaven.

   1. Chapter 1 - What It Is to Pray

      - Prayer is the beginning of all that is good in us.
      - It is essentially simple, just because it is so necessary.
      - To pray requires no learning no eloquence, no money, no earthly recommendation.
      - In order to pray, we need only to know God and ourselves.
      - For prayer itself, only a few thoughts are requisite; the fewer the better - few desires and few words. But the words must at least be from the heart, or else there is no prayer.
      - To pray is simply to speak with God, to hold converse with Him by adoration, praise, thanksgiving and petition. Let us think of prayer as a familiar conversation with a good and kindly man .... We speak together of the most important matters, quite plainly, often quite without emotion or a spark of feeling or excitement, all that matters is that we should speak honestly and earnestly.
      - If only our prayer is simply offered, it is the right kind of prayer.

   2. Chapter 2 - How Great and Excellent Prayer Is

      - Except in Holy Communion, we can, here below, in no way become so intimately united with God as in prayer.
      - It is a marvelous honor for a person to be able to lift up ones soul to God in prayer, but yet more full of honor is the gracious bending down of God to us.
      - Anyone who forgets and neglects prayer does not know one's own misery and own dishonor.

   3. Chapter 3 - The Command to Pray

      - God has permitted us to pray, and so prayer is our right. God has commanded us to pray, and so prayer is our duty.
      - The command to pray belonged also to the old law.
      - There has never been a religion without prayer. To require prayer is, therefore, to ordain the practice of religion.
      - God has ordained prayer on His own account as well as ours.
      - Prayer, being the practice of Divine worship and religion, is not only a means by which to obtain favors from God, but an end, the immediate end of our life.
      - If this is what prayer is, who can wonder that all earnest people, all earnest Christians, pray, and pray much?
      - This is the exalted and serious way in which we must regard prayer. It concerns religion, which is man's highest and most glorious possession in this world.

   4. Chapter 4 - How Prayer Can Do All Things

      - Prayer brings to pass a whole world of good and beautiful things.
      - The power of God's response extends far; as far as our needs and as far as the divine compassion might extend itself. Nothing is excluded; God's promise is, 'All things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing you shall receive - Whatever you shall ask, that will I do".

C. FORMS OF PRAYER

1. An outline of the "classical" (or traditional) forms of prayer:

   1. Vocal prayer

      - Private
      - Public

   2. Meditative prayer

      - Meditation
      - Affective prayer
      - Prayer of simplicity

   3. Contemplative prayer

      - Spiritual
      - Mystical

2. Some important forms of prayer:

   1. Liturgical prayer

      - Eucharist
      - Liturgy of the Hours

   2. Scriptural prayer

   3. Mental Prayer

      - Meditation
      - Contemplation

D. HOW SHOULD ONE PRAY?

1. It is very helpful to:

   1. Create an environment (e.g., a prayer corner) that fosters prayer.

   2. Schedule a definite prayer time and be faithful to it. If an emergency cancels this time, re-schedule it. It is better to delay your meeting with the Lord than to break it completely.

   3. Prepare for the encounter by letting go of thoughts that are disturbing and then directing your thoughts and actions towards God.

   4. Treasure this opportunity.

2. If our prayer has no result, the fault is not God's but ours. There may be three reasons for this. We are either at fault ourselves or we pray in a wrong manner or we ask for the wrong things (Fr. Meschler).

3. Prayer must have the following characteristics according to Fr. Meschler:

   1. Know what you're offering.
   2. Be earnest.
   3. Be humble.
   4. Have trust and confidence.
   5. Have courage.
   6. Pray much to learn to pray well.

4. In prayer, always take time to listen.

E. PREPARING FOR A LIVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Several concepts that assist in preparing for prayer and having a living relationship with God:

1. Believe that God is within you and within everyone else. This is an invaluable truth that fosters prayer.

2. The Spirit of God is the source of true prayer.

3. We can learn from Jesus how to pray.

4. We need to be before God as persons truly in need, truly poor.

5. Prayer cannot be separated from the rest of life.

6. We believe that all that God made is good and that we can meet God in creation, including ourselves as well as others.

7. Live each moment of life in awareness.

8. True prayer moves out of the head, if it started there, and into the heart.

9. Only a few people have managed to be always in a state of 'God-awareness" all the time. Therefore, find special times for prayer.

10. If we have not learned to be still, both inwardly and outwardly, it is unlikely that we will be attuned to God.

11. Only if we are "emptied" of self can God fill us.

12. The more one yields "in faith," the more one can live by "faith."

13. "Seek the God of consolation, not the consolation of God." (St. Teresa)

14. St Teresa of Avila speaks of three essentials: love of neighbor, detachment, humility.

F. A FEW PARTICULAR HINTS

Ways to practice the various forms of prayer in our daily life which include:

1. Daily reading of Scripture is an important preparation for prayer.

2. If possible, find a particular spot for your prayer time.

3. Call upon the Holy Spirit to help you to pray.

4. Quiet yourself. Spend some time to just settle down, relax, and wind-down before prayer. Take a few deep breaths to help you relax.

5. It isn't necessary to quibble about posture; but a good rule of thumb is to be alert and reverent regardless of the posture one might assume for prayer. It is helpful, however, to assume a posture that keeps our spine straight.

6. "Be still, and know that I am God," Scripture reminds us.

7. After you are relaxed and quiet, then remain in the quiet state for a while, or perhaps you might then want to "taste" Scripture.

8. Sometimes listening to a record of religious hymns or a symphony or taking a walk to notice God's revelation in nature help to prepare us for prayer.

9. Look upon the crucifix without saying a word.

10. In "vocal" prayer, one hint is to pray slowly.

G. SOME COMMON PITFALLS TO PRAYER

1. Procrastination.
2. Feelings and moods.
3. Dryness.
4. Distraction of an active ministry.

H. SOME ROLE MODELS FOR CARMELITE PRAYER

NOTE: Each model has specific, and in some ways unique, methods, counsels, etc. for prayer. But we also need to apply these methods and counsels to our own lifestyle and to our secular state of life.

1. Elijah.
2. Our Blessed Mother.
3. Hermits on Mt Carmel.
4. St Teresa of Avila.
5. St John of the Cross.
6. St Therese of the Child Jesus.
7. Those we might have personally known: priests, brothers, nuns, sisters and others.