I am sure that we all lose it, at least once a day. I didn’t use to lose it that often when I was younger. We aim to keep hold of it wherever we go. But now everyone loses it once in a while. Usually down the back of the sofa!
Many of us carry our mobile phones with us all the time. They allow us to connect with people wherever we are. Also, our phones allow us to play music, use apps, update our social media and play a quick game, whenever we want to.
Over the summer, I did a talk comparing prayer to a mobile phone. We can take it wherever we go, we can use it to connect with God and it allows us to do different things.
Prayer can give us an opportunity to focus on God and to switch off from other distractions; prayer can help us to give time to reflect on our life, be open to God and to just be still and quiet. Sometimes we need to turn on flight-mode and switch off from the world around us.
There are lots of different ways that we can pray; quietly, out loud, through singing, by writing and drawing, while walking, on our own or with others. We can pray about our own lives, the lives of others, thank God, say sorry to God, yell at God, be still before God and ask for God’s guidance. Whatever we need to do in life, there is an app for that; in whatever way we might want to express ourselves to God, there is a prayer for that too.
If you want to think a bit more about prayer, I would recommend the book “How to pray: a simple guide for normal people” by Pete Greig. It is available online or down at the Cornerstone book shop, in Grovelands Shopping Centre, Savile Way, Grove. This is a good read and a very easy book to dip in and out of; it is very insightful, down-to-earth and practical.
Even if prayer is not your thing, as a culture we are realising the benefits that prayer, reflection, or mindfulness, can have for us as human beings. Maybe you could give yourself some time and space just to be, to reflect on what’s going on in your life, to be thankful for what is good, to consider what lays ahead for your and to work out what you want your priorities to be.
I find that prayer helps me to do these things; however you choose to do it, it is always worthwhile tuning out what’s going around you, to consider what’s going on inside you.
Now, where did I put my phone…
God bless,
Alec
