Helping People Pray: The God Who Is Creating You

People pray in many ways. Some use prayer books, and others have less formal devotions. Some do spiritual reading or listen to music. Some “just talk with God” or “keep God up to date with what’s going on.” Some pray when they need help or when they want to say, “I’m sorry” or “Thank you.”

You will find the style of prayer that truly helps you. Any kind of prayer, however, will be enhanced if you take it one step further.

God is already close to you, because God created you.

Not only has God created you, but God continues to create you. At every moment you are and you are also becoming.

Take a moment to really think about the wonder of this truth: God—being God—cannot not know and love you. God cannot forget you. As long as you are, God is with you, creating you.

There is a place in your soul where you meet God.

This core of your being is so deep that you seldom go there, and you can’t take anyone else there with you. It is in this place that you will find the God who, as St. Augustine described, “is closer to you than you are to yourself.”

So, after you pray as you usually do, go to that place where you meet with God, where, at that very second, God is creating you. Bring whatever you have been doing or thinking, talking, or praying about. Come full or empty. Come as you are.

You can hold your heart before God, just as it is.

Use words if you need to. Tell God that you want whatever it is God wants to give you. If you can’t honestly pray for that yet, ask God to help you become ready to pray for it.

Listen to your God with your heart. Probably it is good to be quiet for a bit. You may be moved to praise and thanksgiving. Let the wonder of God’s great care fill you!

You will discover a new depth to your prayer life when you learn to come to God in all honesty and when you hold in your heart the truth that God continues to create you, every moment of every day.