176 – Writing Prayers – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

A few weeks ago I saw a note on Englewood Review of Books regarding the recently published A Prayer Journal by Flannery 0’Connor.  This got me thinking about the practice of some of writing prayers but when I read the following excerpt I began to think more about passion and honesty in prayer.

“Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to.  You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon.  The crescent is very beautiful and perhaps that is all one like I am should or could see; but what I am afraid of, dear God, is that my self shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing.”

“I do not know You God because I am in the way.  Please help me to push myself aside.”

How does her prayer strike you this day?  Does she offer you any thoughts about how we come to God?

Here is the link to Englewood Review of Books excerpt

http://erb.kingdomnow.org/flannery-oconnor-a-prayer-journal-excerpt/

and a link to a review on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=246409443

 


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