I believe that the problem of praying aloud in front of others is less about knowing how to pray and more about being able to function amid judgment by God (or so we may think), ourselves and others. So praying aloud in front of others becomes an act of faith and courage. The courage comes in essentially saying, “Other people’s judgment does not ultimately define me. While judgment may or may not be real or present, there is a larger Truth: God’s love always triumphs here.”
And not only does God’s love triumph; God wants to connect with each of us intimately and personally. God is always ready to listen and encourage. God loves it when we call, when we say thank you, when we listen, when we ask for guidance, and when we notice and name the sorrows of the world around us. God hears us when we express righteous outrage over injustice, when we appreciate the beauty of creation, when we revel in the gift of human community, and when we let ourselves bask in how precious and loved we truly are. At the heart of prayer is God’s love.
This message is excerpted from “I don’t have a prayer!” by Libby Howe in the June 2021 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886, and John XXIII, Bishop of Rome, 1963.
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