Comments on: The daily journey in prayer, reading and meditation http://www.hitchhikersguide.org/2008/02/14/the-daily-journey-in-prayer-reading-and-meditation/ the journey forward to the ancient roots of our faith Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:59:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: James http://www.hitchhikersguide.org/2008/02/14/the-daily-journey-in-prayer-reading-and-meditation/#comment-26 James Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:11:19 +0000 http://www.hitchhikersguide.org/2008/02/14/the-daily-journey-in-prayer-reading-and-meditation/#comment-26 I hear ya man. I've probably read as many books since starting my trek towards the Orthodox church than I have in the last five years. I still don't have a definitive prayer rule. That should probably be my next step. Don't worry too much about being the chief of sinners. Saul of Tarsus has nothin on me either. I hear ya man. I’ve probably read as many books since starting my trek towards the Orthodox church than I have in the last five years. I still don’t have a definitive prayer rule. That should probably be my next step. Don’t worry too much about being the chief of sinners. Saul of Tarsus has nothin on me either.

]]> By: Matt http://www.hitchhikersguide.org/2008/02/14/the-daily-journey-in-prayer-reading-and-meditation/#comment-24 Matt Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:24:33 +0000 http://www.hitchhikersguide.org/2008/02/14/the-daily-journey-in-prayer-reading-and-meditation/#comment-24 One of the main benefits I've found with having a prayer rule is that it keeps me actually praying. If you have to "make up" your prayers as you go along, when you don't feel like praying, you're likely to just not pray. With a prayer rule, I have prayers to say even if I don't feel like saying them. It seems that, more often than not, if I can stay disciplined enough to say my prayers even when I don't feel like it, at some point, I will find myself praying. I believe I have, once or twice, had the experience of standing before my icons with no desire to pray, starting my rule of prayer anyway, and, by the time I've finished, not wanting to step away from the icon corner. Granted, I have also had the experience of reciting my whole rule of prayer, and still—Lord have mercy—not feeling very prayerful, but at least I <i>tried</i>, and at least I kept the discipline. One of the main benefits I’ve found with having a prayer rule is that it keeps me actually praying. If you have to “make up” your prayers as you go along, when you don’t feel like praying, you’re likely to just not pray.

With a prayer rule, I have prayers to say even if I don’t feel like saying them. It seems that, more often than not, if I can stay disciplined enough to say my prayers even when I don’t feel like it, at some point, I will find myself praying. I believe I have, once or twice, had the experience of standing before my icons with no desire to pray, starting my rule of prayer anyway, and, by the time I’ve finished, not wanting to step away from the icon corner. Granted, I have also had the experience of reciting my whole rule of prayer, and still—Lord have mercy—not feeling very prayerful, but at least I tried, and at least I kept the discipline.

]]>