Paradigms of prayer--Seek

How does one learn to pray? How does one describe or teach someone how to pray? It is like teaching someone how to love, what to say, subtle intangibles that communicate love to another person. Just as love can't really be taught, so prayer must be learned naturally to a degree, by sensing and following our spirit being led by God's Spirit.

Rather than learning prayer in a how to method, I have been meditating on words that leave an impression of what my prayer is. Each of these words corresponds to a contemplative practice I have developed over time. Each of these leads to a different aspect of my prayer life.

"Seek", or the prayer of seeking is the first that comes to mind. We are challenged to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness", also to "seek peace and pursue it". This is a prayer of movement, of going from one place to another. It has a destination, although the destination is not always known. The destination is not really the goal, it is in the journey that we find peace and the Kingdom of God. The real destination is union with God.

The practice of this prayer is when I walk silently in my neighborhood. It is when I hike through the woods and hills and find the beauty of God. It is when I journey in a labyrinth. It is when I run a marathon. It is when my body is moving, my heart is beating faster, my breathing is full, and my mind goes with my soul and body seeking what is to come. Like the labyrinth, or a marathon route, or a trail in the woods I have never taken, my heart follows my footsteps to see where God will lead. And as I seek, I find. I find God's love, His presence, His beauty, His kingdom.