Pray Always & All Ways
Back to School Sunday
August 10, 2025
Matthew 6:5-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Psalm 139
When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask.
Matthew 6:7
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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This week we are focusing on prayer, but not just the typical prayers we pray to ask for God’s help to get through the day. We’re digging deeper into what it means to pray continually, to pray without words, and to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer that will keep us in tune with God’s presence in every moment.
The recorded message above offers some brief reflections on the ways our perspectives and experience of prayer changes through life. These reflections are shorter than usual because we had table conversations about prayer for a portion of our service.
I invite you to listen and then take a look at some of the prayers below that you may want to try on your own.
The Welcoming Prayer
The Welcoming Prayer is the kind of prayer that is especially helpful when you are feeling triggered throughout the day. Most of our challenges and tempations come from a feeling that our security, our approval, or our control are being threatened. This simple prayer is a way of welcoming whatever emotions / reactions are stirring in us and releasing our need for security, approval and control to God, trusting that God’s grace is sufficient in whatever it is we are facing in that moment.
The Welcoming Prayer
First, Gently become aware of your body and your interior state.
Then pray the following:
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me in this moment
because I know it is for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations and conditions.
I let go of my desire for security.
I let go of my desire for approval.
I let go of my desire for control.
I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person, or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and the healing action and grace within.
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written by: Mary Mrozowski (925-1993)
The creator and spiritual mother of the welcoming prayer practice
Breath Prayer
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Just as breathing goes on naturally in the body, prayer can go on naturally in our being. Thus we can understand the origin of the name more completely when we recall that in Hebrew the word RUACH has three meanings: “wind,” “breath,” and “Spirit.” Practicing the breath prayer re-grooves/rewires/renews our mind, slowly shaping it into the “mind of Christ” (Phil. 2:5)
Gifts of Breath Prayer
The breath prayer helps us re-groove our brains to be more Christ-like. Practice helps us let go of bad tapes and commentaries thus dismantling what is false within us and awaken what is true and good. Clarity develops. Understanding of scripture deepens. Daily chores go faster while engaged in active prayer. Interior detachment develops. Peace of mind emerges. A deeper awareness of the presence of God is experienced. A deeper bonding to Christ and the human family occurs.
Examples of Classic Breath Prayers
Lord, come quickly to my rescue. God, make haste to help me.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
God, grant me peace.
Open my heart to your love, Jesus.
Father God, Thy will be done.
Lord, hear my prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, enter Light. Do not let my darkness speak to me.
Jesus, abide in me.
Jesus, keep me simple.
Holy One, help me.
Pray All Ways
~ compiled by Dr. Reginal Johnson, author of Your Personality & The Spiritual Life
Although you may occasionally engage in almost all of the practices listed below, I invite you to note which ones most represent your regular pattern. You should also note a few that you may like to try and begin experimenting with them in your regular prayer life.
A Small Sampling of Prayer Practices for Every Personality Type
read prayers from a book, or from the Psalms, or recite prayers you have memorized
write your prayers
follow an outline or pattern in your prayer time
talk to God, spontaneously, in your own words
express your feelings to God
intercede by entering empathetically into the feelings of others and bearing these feelings to God in prayer
intercede by talking to God about other’s needs.
intercede silently by visualizing the other person in Christ’s presence.
intercede for others while looking at their photographs
intercede for others with the use of a “prayer list”
spend time just “feeling” the presence of God
spend time quietly thinking about God
listen in silence for what God wants to say
pray a phrase or verse from scripture in order to focus your attention and rest in God’s presence.
imagine Christ present with you, or visualize yourself as present with Him in some gospel scene, and let that lead into conversational prayer with Christ
read a passage of scripture and try to allow God to show you how it relates to or applies to your life.
read from a devotional source which raises your thoughts to God and helps you think about His attributes and qualities and stimulate your worship
pray over your day’s schedule, offering persons & situations to God in anticipatory prayer, and to seek God’s help in ordering your priorities
read a selection from a devotional source which relates stories about how real people have experienced God in their circumstances, using it as a “faith lift”
“daydream” or follow a stream of consciousness in God’s presence allowing it to take you “wherever” as you open yourself to God--all the way from confession of sins, asking for help, or receiving creative ideas
think about something in a focused way, in God’s presence, perhaps with pen in hand
use symbols in your place of prayer (for example, a lit candle, open Bible, picture, cross, or worship center of some sort)
sing, play a musical instrument or listen to music during your time of prayer
keep a spiritual journal or prayer diary
set aside time during prayer in order to reflect deliberately over your day, in order to see how God has been (or may have wanted to be) at work
set aside time for self-examination into your attitudes, actions or thoughts which are hindering your relationship with God
“practice the presence of God” during the day by frequent interior conversations with God
find that there are frequent moments through the day when your thoughts turn to God and you are conscious of God’s presence in you
organize your schedule so that there are fixed times throughout the day when you remind yourself to lift your heart to God in prayer
“pray with your body” by using posture (kneeling, lying prostrate, etc.),
use actions (dancing or movement), or gestures (palms opened, arms lifted, etc.), as a means of prayerful expression to God
sometimes use voluntary denial of an otherwise normal function (eating, watching TV, sweets, etc.) for the sake of spiritual focus and prayer
walk / jog / play in order to place yourself in the “path” of God who lifts your spirit through the beauty of creation
listen to audio readings of scripture selections, as you drive, work, or rest
read / sing from the hymnal or other worship songs in order to drink in the message which comes through the poetic imagery as a means of being with God
There are as many ways to be present with God as there are to be in relationship with a friend. Once you carve out the space for prayer, you have a choice in what you and God do with your time together.
Don’t let your prayer life grow stale. Be Creative!
The hardest part is showing up and being present. Once you are present with God, the possibilities are endless. Enjoy.