Prayer as a Path to Love
Listening as an Act of Mercy and Love
Reflection By Robbin Brent
In prayer we discover what we already have. You start where you are and you deepen what you already have, and you realize that you are already there.
- Thomas Merton
The quote from Thomas Merton reminds me of Dorothy’s journey in The Wizard of Oz. With the ruby slippers, she could have clicked her heels together three times at any point and been home. But not knowing this, she embarks on a dramatic journey filled with danger, fear, beauty, darkness, friendship, and hard-won wisdom. At the end, she and her friends learn that what they most longed for, what they thought they lacked that only the wizard could provide, they already possessed. Merton is saying something similar about using the “ruby slippers” of our prayers to help us remember and return to the abundance we already have, but may have forgotten.
Let’s return to the intercessory prayer questions introduced in week two as one form of prayer that can help us to more fully join our prayer with God’s prayer for us. From this place we can deepen the connections we already have, and offer prayers for mercy, compassion, and love, for ourselves and on behalf of those whom we love, and for those with whom we are in community.
Beloved of my heart, what is your prayer, your deepest desire for me/ this person/this situation?
What do you want my prayer to be for myself/this person/situation?
What, if anything, is getting in my way of joining more fully and freely in your prayer?
Is there anything you would have me say or do on your behalf?
Making It Personal: If you practiced this way of praying, did you receive any insights or guidance? If you prayed on behalf of another person or group, did that change your thoughts or feelings about them in any way? You might want to write down your responses, or share them in a conversation with a trusted friend or family member.
Follow along with us this Lent season with our daily devotional and engage in discussion in our closed facebook group moderated by Robbin Brent, Jan Kwiatowski, and Scott Stoner.
In this group, participants will have a chance to share their responses to the prompts in the daily readings, and also the chance to receive additional material for reflection.