……..or anywhere! So true, “prayer” is not limited to a special session during which a certain posture is assumed (usually on the knees), along with maybe having the hands together in a pious manner. This is good……sometimes, and formal prayer certainly has its beneficial place.
But, we need to get away from identifying prayer with some once, twice, maybe 3 times a day RITUAL! Prayer is simply going to God and Christ…..period. Whether on the toilet, in a prayer closet, washing dishes, fixing the car, etc, it is important for us to learn to look to and converse with God and Christ and “pray in the Spirit on all occasions” (Ephesians 6:18). This means talking (silently or out loud) to Them as if They were right there in a natural, conversational manner…….anytime and anywhere! Or, just let your spiritual gaze be towards Them without any words whatsoever.
This was and is the way of the ‘mystics’, who developed a deeply personal relationship with God and Christ….they continually, moment by moment when possible, conversed (“prayed”) with Them. Brother Lawrence in PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD is an excellent example of this (a free online copy is available at http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=2701994).
And, this is what the scripture “draw near to Me and I will draw near to you” means….the more often we converse/pray (formally and informally) the more we “draw near to” God and Christ….we are going towards Them.
Until later,
Fred
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