Intentional Prayer

Definition of intention: Intention = Action + Purpose + Goal

If your intention is to improve your prayer, how you get to prayer depends on your actions + your purpose + your goal.

Let's say your intention is to learn more about prayer. Perhaps how to pray, when to pray and why you pray.

Here are some examples to take your first step of Action:
1. Listen to others pray--
How does it sound?
Is it heartfelt?
Is it memorized?
Is there a style or rhythm to the prayer?
2. Write your prayers down in a journal. (like Aibileen in the book The Help)
3. Pray out loud
Alone
With others
Offer to pray in front of a group (family?)
4. Read prayer books to find your prayers
Books about prayers
Books filled with prayers
Psalms
5. Ask about prayer.
A minister
A friend
Someone you've heard pray
A family member

The next step is your purpose:

Let the purpose be yours. Learning more about prayer in a personal purposeful way will bring you closer to your goal.

Here are examples of what your personal purpose could be:
1. Perhaps to feel closer to God
2. To give each day extra meaning
3. To remind yourself that you are not alone on the journey
4. To find peace for a few moments
5. To simply ask for help for yourself (Traveling Mercies, by Annie LaMott sometimes prayed
the prayer--Help me, Help me, Help me!)
6. To ask for help for others
7. To ground yourself when you're worried, anxious or negativity surrounds you

Your final step is your Goal.

Perhaps it is to:
1. Establish prayer that means something to you
2. Speak or write prayers that are heartfelt
3. To develop faith that no matter what your prayer or the style in which you pray...
it will be heard and answered