First Step
Join in the prayers that are provided and led during worship. Begin to offer personal prayers before meals.
Does the Sunday worship bulletin offer a prayer before worship? After you are seated, quiet yourself for a moment and read the prayer to yourself and then sit in silence as long as you feel comfortable.
Are there spoken/unison prayers that are printed in the bulletin (often in bold type)? Join in!
If one of the worship leaders offers a prayer, take an attitude of prayer and listen. Many people find bowing their heads and closing their eyes helpful, but there’s not just one way to pray. If that doesn’t work for you, find what does.
Before a meal, pray quietly and as briefly as you’d like. Just thinking a quick, yet meaningful, “Thank you, God, for this food. Amen.” is a wonderful way to pause and remember God in prayer.
Next Steps
Regularly pray during the week. Learn about and practice the varied forms that prayer can take: verbal, listening, meditating, scripture reading, moving, etc.
Begin each morning with a brief time of prayer. Find a quiet place, sit in prayerful silence and/or say out loud or in your head a few sentences of prayer. Thank God for the day ahead of you, ask God to show you opportunities to share love and kindness, pray for specific people or situations that come to mind.
Read this short article on Practicing Prayer from the PC(USA) Essential Practices series. Try one or two of the different types of prayers suggested.
Many people use a daily devotional to guide them in prayer and scripture reading each day. Copies of These Days are available at Fairview in the narthex (lobby) of the sanctuary.
Further Steps
Commit to daily prayer and using prayer as an active tool for discernment and personal transformation.
Devote more time to prayer. Allowing more time to try an extended practice like Lectio Divina.
Use prayer as a way of helping you consider decisions. Ignatian spirituality can be useful.
Begin to use a prayer journal.