Someone once said that the reason that men like dogs is that they do not have to talk to them. I often find that to be true in my own life. One of my favorite things is to sit on the sofa and watch a movie with my dog in my lap. I also enjoy quiet walks with my dog. I do sometimes talk to my dog, but most of the time, it is enough for him if we are just together.
I struggled with prayer most of my life. I was taught that the essence of prayer was talking to God. For someone who is not always chatty, I found this to be a challenge. What a relief it was for me to learn that prayer did not have to be talking. It could be sitting in silence with God just enjoying his company.
Sometimes he has something to say to me as I listed. Other times he does not. The point is not so much to talk as it is to hang out with each other.
I sometimes picture Christ with me as I walk or drive. This helps me some times to see the reality of his presence. Sometimes, while sitting in my desk at work, I look up and picture him sitting in a chair across from me. I give a little nod. Sometimes, I make the sign of the cross on my forehead or touch the prayer beads in my pocket. All of these are prayer, yet I might not say a thing.
I have found that this non-discursive prayer has freed me to experience prayer on a newer level. I don’t feel as pressured to be verbose. When I do lead in public prayer, I find that my prayers are shorter and punctuated with silence. In all of my prayers, I do not have to perform. I can just be.
