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There are millions and millions of ways to pray that depend on religion, culture, and personal preference. In some traditions you aren’t praying unless you are in a specific position (kneeling, lotus position, or with your hands together), while in others no specific physical stance is necessary. In some traditions there are prescribed texts to pray, while in others prayer can come from the individual. In some traditions, it is necessary to have an intemediary for prayer, while in others you can pray directly to God. In some traditions the highest form of prayer is speaking out loud in a group, while in others it may be preferred to be completely silent and alone.

Regardless of the method of prayer, what’s important is that you have a way of honoring and sharing your communion with the God of your being. That said, below are a few ways to pray that seem to cross many traditions.

Scripture

In many traditions there is a set of accepted texts that govern the religion: the Bible in Christianity, the Sutras in Buddhism, the Qu’ran in Islam, the Torah in Judaism, or the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduim to name a few. It is generally believed that the answers to life are held within these texts. I use the Bible and the Tao in my practice. Sometimes when I’m dealing with something perplexing, I open it up randomly to see what turns up and then sit with it in contemplative prayer.

Another way that scriptures are used in prayer is with repitition. In some traditions there are specific sections of scripture that are widely used as prayers. For example, the Psalms within the Bible are recited as prayers.

Chanting

Chanting a particular phrase over and over helps to get you into a receptive state. The sound builds up a vibration within your body and the practice of repeating the phrase shifts your attention from any concerns. For example repeatedly singing the word Om or Amen makes your body resonate with the word. You begin to transcend the cares of the world and you get to a state where you are a clear channel for Spirit to work as you in the world. You also open yourself up to be guided by Spirit. It’s like dusting off and shining up a light bulb. You are now free to express in the world.

Affirmative Prayer

Affirmations are also a method of prayer. The emphasis here is on changing your mind and not on changing God. For example, if you want a job, you may prayer traditionally, “God guide me to the perfect job for me.” With affirmative prayer, you recognize that the perfect job for you is already available and God is not witholding it or bestowing it. Your affirmative prayer may be, “I am open to the perfect job.”

It may seem like a matter of semantics, but it is indeed a shift in perspective. Of course, you could say “God guide me to the perfect job for me” knowing that technically you are not being passively guided, but you are opening yourself up and tuning into the guidance that is already there. The key to affirmative prayer is acknowledging that all that you desire is already available.

Prayer Vigils

A prayer vigil is a prolonged prayer (more than an hour) where several people gather to pray about a specific ideal. More than 2 people coming together to pray generates significant energy around that idea. Praying for a long time pushes us past the point of mere repitition or thinking, to a place where we can experience pure Spirit. The combination of the 2 in a prayer vigil makes this an extremely powerful way to pray.

Praying Ceaslessly

Great spiritual masters are known today because they were able to pray persistently. Their lives were prayers. They understood that they were Spirit and expressed it with no thought barriers. They just allowed Spirit to flow through them all the time and they reveled in the experience. This way they were able to mold the world around them in a way that seemed miraculous.

There are many, many more ways to pray not mentioned here. I am sure that each of you reading this can think of a dozen rituals that you have in your spiritual practice.

How do you pray?

In Spirit,
Nneka