H.O.W. to Pray
Author name
Midweek Message
Prayer is a spiritual practice that I feel I’ve always had a high level of “want to” but a
relatively low level of quite knowing “how to.” But a card on one of the tables in the
display area at our annual conference a couple of weeks ago caught my eye. It was
entitled “H.O.W. Do I Begin?” I thought I’d share this acronym with you in case you’ve
ever wanted to grow in your practice of “HOW to” pray.
The H in the acronym stands for “honest.” Paul’s confession in Romans 8:26 that “we
do not know how to pray as we ought” strikes me as refreshingly honest. So too does
the prayer by the Quaker author Richard Foster that is provided on this card.
I am, O God, a jumbled mass of motives.
One moment I am adoring you, and the next I am shaking my fist at you.
I vacillate between mounting hope, and deepening despair.
I am full of faith, and full of doubt.
I want the best for others, and am jealous when they get it.
Even so, God, I will not run from your presence.
Nor will I pretend to be what I am not.
Thank you for accepting me with all my contradictions.
Amen.
The O stands for “open.” The practice of prayer opens our heart to God and God’s
heart to us. The prayer provided for “open” on this card is by the mystic Howard
Thurman:
Open unto me—light for my darkness.
Open unto me—courage for my fear.
Open unto me—hope for my despair.
Open unto me—peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me—joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me—strength for my weakness.
Open unto me—wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me—forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me—tenderness for my toughness.
Open unto me—love for my hates.
Open unto me—Thy self for myself.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!
Amen.
The W stands for “willing.” I am reminded of Jesus’ famous prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane the night of his arrest: “Lord, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but
yours be done” (Matthew 26:39). A prayer in a similar spirit is that of Julian of Norwich:
Lord, you know what I desire, but I desire it only if it is your will that I should have it. If it
is not your will, good Lord, do not be displeased, for my will is to do your will. Amen.
So HOWever it is that you may pray, may our praying with God be honest, open, and
willing.
