The Matter Of Prayer, How, Why, When, to what Degree? Options

So, lately I have been changing the way that I pray, according to the program, which I've been rather verbose about lately, namely Lisiewski books and attendant material. This has given me some difficulty, because I am not used to praying as he suggests - particularly speaking, out-loud. My periods of prayer in the past have been more contemplative, considering and turning my attention to the qualities of the Divine, seeking out in my own experience and sensibility, the expressions of the Divine around me, and expressing in a purely emotional manner my feelings for that Divinity.

When I perform various ritual prayers, either written by myself or drawn from the Psalms, Dr. Dee's prayers, Thelemic orations, etc., I don't feel any kind of exaltation during the prayer itself - with very few exceptions. It makes me wonder, am I praying wrong, or am I just used to praying a different way. Moreover, is my previous method of prayer - this somewhat direct internalized approach - somehow less effective, or effective in a different way?

Now, I have developed a strong connection to my experience of God through my own version of prayer. I want to try and develope this other practice because I want to know if there is a difference experientially. For those that have been praying this way for a long time, is it something that developed for you after a while? What does it mean to 'enflame thyself with prayer'? It is experientially different than the feelings and experience I have when praying 'directly' as I am used to? (more a question for myself there). In these spoken prayers, I'm seeing examples that involve asking for wisdom, forgiveness, guidance, etc. In my own version, I'm used to simply focusing on the immense presence, power, and glory of the Divine experience and expression, rather than asking for anything. Thus far, those things seem to deliver themselves as I need them - even to the point that by the time I got frustrated with my current level of magical development, I was introduced to Lisiewski's work, which has helped me progress. Other examples are scattered throughout my life. Not that I think it's wrong to ask the Divine for such things, but this sudden focus on doing that as a regular practice is kind of putting me off on some level.

Any suggestions, thoughts, or experiences to share with prayer in general, regardless of tradition, and how one involves themselves in it? In addition to the questions given above, for consideration and discussion?

peace

Hi VD,

I dont really know if i understood your words well but let me also post something on prayers...



In fact what had been in my mind from observation since long is that lots of normal people do not really know what prayer is. People just go infront of a picture and recite some kool words and that it. There is not the link that those people try create to the divinity via like for instance visualising the God and repeating the name of the god etc till a certain calmness of the mind happens.... In fact i would say that prayers have since long been moulded by religious leaders to:

1st keep the faith on God and have the people follow the religion

2nd remove those parts that could allow a powerful connection to the Divinities and allow the use of magick

3rd help keep unity among the groups.



I see prayers as a transformed and lower communication medium of a ritual in itself.



But i do not say that prayers are not effective. The human mind evolves also. So with emotions, prayers themselves can grow in intensity to create the link to the Divinity. And when a link is acknowledge then the simple prayer itself will effective. There are also places where rituals are performed and these places have a link to the Divinities. So if in these places, a simple prayer is made, it would travel through the network present there to reach the divinity.



One thing more is that before a prayer, there needs to be a mental reshaping period of several minutes to get detached from the mundane life and to better produce the effect a prayer needs to.



rgds