“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us–and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love. Every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude, therefore, takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, and is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful man knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”

—Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

While tying up the tomatoes to the field fence—they were already waist high—it occurred to Passerby to ask Helder what he asked Her to do for him when he prayed.

Helder said, “I quit asking Her for stuff and favors long ago.”

There came a time when he realized that there was nothing he desired so much as Her will be accomplished in his life and the lives of others. He realized he could not ask Her to do what he wanted since he seldom knew Her will. And to presume that perhaps she did not have the best interest of those she loved—which is everything She is creating—at heart is to question her character and motives, which would be stupid.

He learned to question those who asked him to pray for them more closely—there were many when he was caring for the dying—what they wanted Her to do for them. He pondered whether he might, with good conscience, ask Her to do as they asked. There were times he, in his own spirit, declined the request to pray as they wanted and directed them instead toward trust. He noticed that most of the prayers he heard were not trusting prayers but fear prayers, a last-ditch effort to get god to do what they wanted. But, of course, “Perfect Love casts out fear.” (1 Jn 4:18) His own prayers turned from wanting his way to thankfulness and gratefulness. Prayers of trust.

• • •

Praying to Who?

Footnote to All Prayers
He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme.
Worshiping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
Our arrows aimed unskillfully beyond the desert;
And all men are idolaters, crying unheard
To a deaf idol if Thou take them at their word.
Take not, O Lord, our literal sense. Lord, in thy great
Unbroken speech, our limping metaphor translate.

—C.S. Lewis

“Helder, when you pray, who are you speaking with?”

“I am speaking with the Great Creator Spirit (not to be confused with the Holy Spirit of Trinitarian fame) whom Jesus called Father as Rabbi taught us saying:

“I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech but will speak to you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will ask him in my name, and I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you.

—John 16:25-27

What do you mean by prayer?”

“Well…I guess I mean—given that I have only one resource, the bible—Like the Apostle said, “Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers, ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.” Phil 4:6)

“So prayer for you is asking the Spirit for favors? Asking Her for help in getting what you need, as the Apostle said? It’s okay; most people do likewise. However, I find it a rather rude behavior. No one I know would invite a dear friend into a conversation and then spend the whole time asking her for stuff. She might begin to think that was all you needed her for, which would likely end the friendship.

“Let all our employment be to know GOD: …and if our love of GOD were great, we should love Her equally in pains and pleasures. Let us not content ourselves with loving GOD for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which She has done, or may do us. Such favors, though ever so great, cannot bring us so near to Her as faith does in one simple act. Let us seek Her often by faith. She is within us: seek Her, not elsewhere. …Beg this favor of Her. If we do what we can on our parts, we shall soon see that change wrought in us which we aspire after.”

―Brother Lawrence

But, if I may, I suggest a quote from John 15.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.” The Charismatics Love this one. It seems to promise them anything they wish—Kinda like finding a bottle with a Genie in it—because they assume that they are compliant with the first few words of the quote because they prayed the magic prayer and are, therefore, ‘in’. Nothing could be further from the truth.

—Jesus, John 15:7

‘In me’ and ‘in you’ are relationship words. They denote a relationship with, not merely a relationship to. Jesus is teaching about abiding (living) with—or resting in or being attached to—Her so well that your wills are identical. That being the case, that person could only request that She do for them what She had already accomplished.

Jesus said,

“I do not call you servants any longer because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father.”

—John 15:15

Passerby, If we are able to receive it, you and I are the friends of Rabbi Jesus. And as such, we have revealed to us “everything” he heard from our Father. Remember, it was Rabbi who taught us to pray, ‘Our Father’. The Father of Jesus is no less our Father.

• • •

“I told you, in my last, that She sometimes permits bodily diseases to cure the distempers of the soul. Have courage then: make a virtue of necessity: ask of GOD, not deliverance from your pains, but strength to bear resolutely, for the love of Her, all that She should please, and as long as She shall please.”

― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Now, concerning our healing, the shocking truth is that the Holy Spirit isn’t particularly concerned about alleviating our suffering if it impedes our greater healing. And, isn’t interested in our prosperity when the little ones (Mt 25), anywhere within our reach, need food, clothing, shelter, and friendship.

• • •

At some point early in my religious history, I was told that I must surrender my will to do god’s will. I must want what he [sic] wants, not what I want. The notion terrified me. What if what he wants is never anything like what I want? I was young, had nothing, and desired so much!

A great worry…but, over time, as some of the layers of my false self sluffed off—having been matured in the refiners’ fire, to my great surprise—I came to realize that She never once asked me to be anything other than what She had already prepared me to be. I sacrificed nothing. I simply fell in Love.

• • •

“That we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD’s Presence by continually conversing with Her. That it was a shameful thing to quit Her conversation, to think of trifles and fooleries.”

―Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

Over time, I also learned prayer as the practice of Her presence as Brother Lawrence taught. First, I had to grow out of my mistaken notion of a primarily transcendent god over there to whom I directed my prayers somewhere over there. The nature of my prayer changed as my embrace of the imminent Spirit matured. Her presence right in here, right now, meant I no longer needed a vehicle, like a note, envelope, and stamp, to get my message sent; I experienced my prayer in Her presence. My prayer and Her presence were one; my prayer is Her presence.

So…I began to experience my prayer as Her presence. When I was yielded enough to Her, I knew Her within and without, and I was praying. No more was I concerned with whether or not I might get what I wanted…I wanted Her, and I, for the first time, wanted what She wanted.

Passerby, Make no mistake, If that sounds a bit erotic…it is.

• • •

“That his prayer was nothing else but a sense of the presence of GOD, his soul being at that time insensible to everything but Divine love: and that when the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no difference, because he still continued with GOD, praising and blessing Her with all his might, so that he passed his life in continual joy; yet hoped that GOD would give him somewhat to suffer, when he should grow stronger.”

― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God