The Starting Point

Last week, we started a Lenten series on prayer in the parish, opening with the question: What is the greatest difficulty in prayer?  One of our discussion partners suggested that the answer is "finding a starting place."  Somehow, that answer resonated with me, and I wanted to think about it more, so I wrote it down.  What is our "starting place" in prayer?

The next morning, I came to my regular prayer time with that question.  For years, I've been using a daily prayer guide based on the readings and feast of the daily Mass.  I really don't have to think too much about my starting place as I grab a cup of tea, settle in and begin to read what is right in front of me.  Usually, there is something in the Blessed Among Us article, in the readings of the day, or in the reflection that gives me a jumping off place for my own prayer and reflection.  And that satisfies me.  But on this day, I wondered if my "prayer" was really connecting with God, or if I was just completing a routine that I had started years ago.  

I think it is a good routine for most of us, and I do think it "clears space for God" to meet us, as Bishop Barron says in his book on prayer:  God is like a helicopter pilot, hovering over our lives, waiting for us to clear a landing place for Him.  But like all routines, our prayer life probably needs to be refreshed at times to keep it fresh and meaningful.

It's funny how when you ask a question, and begin to think about the answer, usually, somehow, a new door in the universe begins to open.  And open it did!  First, a video found its way to my phone: 

Grok AI analyzes every prayer in the Bible.  What an eye-opener!  The video is about 45 minutes long, but worth every minute.  What AI discovered is that there is indeed a pattern to every prayer in the Bible, from beginning to end, from Old Testament to New Testament.  Eureka!  And guess what!  There is actually a starting place for every prayer in Scripture!  Who knew?  And the starting place is not reading someone else's prayers or reflections, wonderful as they may be!  

The Starting Place for prayer in the Bible is Acknowledgement of Who God Is, His character, His power, His relationship with his people, His faithfulness, His greatness, etc.  Even the short "Our Father" prayer given by Jesus begins with acknowledging the relationship:  Who is God to you?  (Father).  See Psalm 111 for a good example from the Old Testament.

Once I began to see to pattern, I realized why it took so many years of developing a relationship with the Jewish people before God sent the Messiah:  They had to know God before they could recognize Him in Jesus.  As in any relationship, to "know" God means that we have to spend time with Him -- in prayer, in nature, in reflection, in pondering our lives before Him.  Scripture says, Walk before me and be perfect (complete).   Enoch walked "with" God; Deborah "sat" with God; Abraham "stood" with God.  Our conversation with other people depends entirely on the experiences we have had with them. Little or no experience equals superficial and meaningless conversation, or "prayer."

Who is God to you?  Where has He been in your life?  If we answer those questions, and if our 'starting place' in prayer is to acknowledge Who He has been for us, I think we might at last begin to pray!