Thoughts on the Meaning of Prayer
Michael Ramsey was born in 1904 and was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1961 until 1974; he died in 1988. He gave great leadership to the Anglican Communion by his theology, social compassion and ecumenical commitment. He was a spiritual leader and teacher of great simplicity and depth, who had a special rapport with young people.
Being with God
It means putting yourself near God, with God, in a time of quietness every day. You put yourself with God, empty perhaps, but hungry and thirsty for Him. You can be very near Him in your simple sincerity; and He will do the rest, drawing out from you longings deeper than you ever knew were there, and pouring into you trust and love.
Praying for Others
Anywhere, everywhere, God is to be found. You can be on God’s side of every human situation, for God’s side is a part of every human situation. Your prayer will then become a rhythmic movement of all your powers, moving into God’s presence in contemplation, and moving into the needs of other people in intercession. In contemplation you will reach into the peace and stillness of God’s eternity; in intercession you will reach into the rough and tumble of the world of time and change.
Lord, take my heart and break it:
Break it not in the way I would like,
But in the way you know best.
And because it is you who break it,
I will not be afraid,
For in your hands all is safe,
And I am safe.
Lord, take my heart and fill it with your joy,
Not always in ways I like,
But in the ways you know are best,
That your joy may be fulfilled in me.
So, Lord, I am ready to be your friend, your servant.
Amen.
Michael Ramsey, TS, 2019
Featured Image: (cropped from) Christ Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, 1886, Heinrich Hofmann (1824-1911) Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons