Prayer

i collect prayers.

it first came as quite a surprise to me to feel a rising attraction to prayers and blessings again. i liked prayers in my childhood but lost contact when i became cool. even until several moons ago the thought of prayers had an embarrassing quality to it - or lets say, it made me feel immature.

the arrival and birth of my son brought many changes, inner and outer. and many questions rose to the surface. one of those questions was how to experience god, the one, the source, together with my son. and that gently set my inner prayer wheel in motion again.

then i saw rabbi zalman schachter-shalomi in a short clip say a little prayer, and this changed my perception of praying once more. it was a short petitionary prayer for malka, a young, sick girl, simply spoken with an open heart. the power of this simple prayer eased the way through my barriers and touched my heart. it made me feel quite sad, really, to realize that i neglected something as accessible and beautiful as the power of praying for so long. but this small, simple prayer also let me experience god in the most immediate of ways and sparked a new interest and longing in the art of praying. genuine prayer always involves a personal dimension, along with the intention to go beyond one's separate self and towards the divine. prayers are thresholds to the ever-present source.

as you know by now i collect prayers and blessings. so, if you have a favorite prayer, one which is close to your heart, one which gives you comfort and lets you connect to the ever-present, please feel free to share!

here is one of my favorites, conceived by an australian cartoonist, poet and writer called michael leunig.

We give thanks for our friends.
We anger each other.
We fail each other.
We share this sad earth, this tender life, this precious time.
Such richness. Such wildness.
Together we are blown about.
Together we are dragged along.
All this delight.
All this suffering.
All this forgiving life.
We hold it together.

WELCOME kojan... what a treat to have you posting here. it is truely a dream come true to have you and maria and patti sharing your hearts and souls here at easily amazed. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. This line touched me beautifully: "how to experience god, the one, the source, together with my son." it is in the word together that i melt every time i read that line. how to experience god together with another... and how to tailor that experience to who the other is... recognizing the differences and the similarities in experiencing with a small child and a grown adult. i'd love to hear more of what you've discovered in this quest and adventure with your son. and then the image of your inner prayer wheel being gently set in motion... my grinning is as far as i can go in commenting my feeling! i too was profoundly effected by the prayer for malka clip. for me, however, it was when the rabbi asked to speak to the god in ken... explaining that sometimes it's easier to connect to the god inside of another, that really struck me. he looked into ken's eyes and then spoke the simple prayer. it was such a reminder and invitation for me to speak to the god inside of others. as for favorite prayers. one i say every night (except for the nights i forget) that i particularly enjoy is: thank you for the gift of breath, for another day of loving. my heart lies open in your divine embrace. ~~~~~~ i too would love to hear some other favorite prayers... from any and every or no tradition. ashley | Homepage | 02.13.05 - 1:53 am | #

thank you, ashley, for your light and for your open heart. and thanks for sharing your night prayer, it's lovely (and finn will like it...) Kojan | 02.15.05 - 3:14 am | #

what a lovely thing to collect! one of my favorite prayers lately is the traditional Jewish morning prayer, but i am finding that it is just right for any time i remember to pray, plus the melodies that go along with it are all beautiful: Modah (women say "modah" men say "modeh") ani l'fanechah, melech chai v'kayam shehechezarta bi nishmati b'chemlah, raba emunatechah (loose translation: I am so thankful to be in Your Presence Source of life and eternity You mercifully restored my soul to me great is Your faith (in me) christy | Homepage | 02.16.05 - 12:26 am | #

thanks a lot, christy, another beautiful gem to keep the prayer wheel turning! Kojan | 02.16.05 - 3:04 am | #

kojan, one of my favorite prayers is: I will arise and lift my eyes to see your holyness, my hope is in your name Lord my trust is in your name Lord you are faithfull. i too thank you for your wonderful post, im with ashley when you speak of including your son in your relationship with God! what a blessing you are! thank you again,Maria maria | 02.16.05 - 9:29 am | #

Maria, your so kind, thank you! May God grant you always... A sunbeam to warm you, A moonbeam to charm you, A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you. Kojan | 02.18.05 - 3:29 am | #

Oh Kojan, how sweet of you! you lifted up my day! God bless you,maria maria | 02.18.05 - 3:38 pm | #