The Five Ps of Prayer

I suppose there is no absolute wrong way to pray, but if you want to be sure to hit all of the key areas of prayer...

I present the five Ps of prayer as defined by Father Michael Denk.

Prepare: Know ahead of time what you are going to pray with. Look at it early in the morning, meditate upon it throughout the day.

Posture: We are human beings and we pray with our bodies. Find a posture that you can be relaxed and comfortable so your body is not a distraction during prayer.

Presence: Take a moment before prayer to realize that you are in the Presence of God. Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and teach you how to pray.

Passage: Go to the Word, Icon, or nature. Become familiar with it and rest with whatever word, image, phrase, sense God speaks to you. Be still.

Place: Find a place that is good for prayer. A place of silence where you will not be disturbed. Make a place significant for praying – i.e. candle, crucifix, bible.

Spur of the moment prayer is still effective, but we truly have a personal relationship with God. Sure, you can have a quick conversation with a friend or write a quick note/text, but if you have something very important to say you will at least think about what you need to say before you say it or write it. If you are writing a love letter (are they still written?) there will likely be a couple of versions. If you are writing a grant for funding of an important project, there will be many revisions.

Make time for God and the benefits will shine forth.