Teach us to pray: 1

Ready to pray...?

Why pray?

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, 
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 
will say to the Lord, 
"My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust."
Psalm 91.1 

There are many reasons why we might be drawn to pray. Sometimes there is an urgent need; we call out for help when we are in trouble. Sometimes we might ponder a story or Bible passage in prayer to deepen our faith. Sometimes, as with other forms of meditation, we might be seeking inner peace.
All these reasons, and others I haven't thought of, are good, but the thing that unites all sorts of prayer is that through them we seek to become more conscious of the presence of God in our lives, simply to be with him. The writer of Psalm 91.1 puts it in a nutshell. It is about abiding in the shadow of the Almighty, not just visiting, but feeling that this is a place where we are at home. If we can get into the habit of awareness of God with us, then when there is something we need to say or to ask, we will be able to do so easily, just as we could easily talk to those we share our homes and hearts with.

• As Lent begins, think about the verse from the Psalm above. Do you feel as if you "live in the shelter of the Most High," or do you think of God as someone you might visit from time to time, or perhaps need to shout to from a great distance?