PRAYER
Part One
The Definition and Etymology of the Word Prayer
1. The word prayer in English comes to us from the Latin word “precaria” which means petition or official request.
2. In Greek, the word for prayer is proseúkhomai, and in Hebrew it is te’fla or kaddish.
3. The official definition of prayer in the Oxford English Dictionary is: “a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to GOD.”
4. POEMS FOR EARTH and THE QUODLIBET define prayer as one or a combination of four things: 1) A formal request for help to GOD. 2) A formal expression of thanks to GOD. 3) A dialogue with GOD. 4) An act of communing with GOD.
Part Two
The 12 Purposes of Prayer
1. Intimacy with GOD. 2. Asking GOD for intervention. 3. Thinking of other people and their needs, and thus feeling empathy for them. We then pray for them, even if we don’t know the specifics of their situation or needs. 4. Spiritual healing. 5. To experience the numinous and unknown and be in the mysterious but loving presence of GOD. 6. To ritually read and study POEMS FOR EARTH or THE QUODLIBET in dialogue and communion with GOD. 7. To be transformed into people living LOVE, holiness and complete submission and devotion to GOD. 8. To change GOD’S mind. 9. To stop suffering and torment. 10. To ask GOD any question, especially when we don’t understand or are angry at GOD in our confusion 11. To repent to GOD and ask for forgiveness when we do wrong. 12. To ask for advice, guidance, and discernment.
Part Three
The 19 types of prayer
1. Request
2. Education
3. Glossolalia
4. Experience
5. A Prayer for the dead
6. A Prayer for repentance
7. CHRIST’S prayer
8. Prayer Songs/Psalms
9. The Book of Hours
10. Centering prayer
11. Ecphonesis
12. Examination of conscience
13. Four-fold Franciscan prayer
14. Hesychasm
15. CHRIST prayer/mantra/chanting
16. Praying the Prayers of Others
17. Holy reading (lectio Divina)
18. Open Prayer
19. Lapri-YAY-JAH
Explanations of each type of prayer (short form)
1. Request
This is any prayer you make to GOD in which you are asking HIM for something. Any time you want something from GOD, be it help, intervention or blessings, those prayers are request prayers.
2. Education
Praying aloud pre-written prayers or liturgy for learning and understanding POEMS FOR EARTH or THE QUODLIBET or even GOD Himself and HIS ethics through the idiom of prayer.
3. Glossolalia
When GOD gives you the ability to pray in a language yet unknown to you, either another human language or a language from the Other Place.
4. Experience
When, while praying, you become imbued by GOD with rapture, joy, numinous awe, and feel GOD’S presence in you and around you.
5. A Prayer for The Dead
In which we specifically pray for someone we knew who is dead, who in their life rejected GOD and HIS book and HIS faith and HIS ethics. We pray to GOD to have mercy on the deceased, and to pray for their well-being and healing by GOD in the Other Place.
6. A Prayer of Repentance
Whenever we pray to GOD with the purpose of confessing sin we have committed, apologizing to GOD for failing HIM and expressing repentance and a desire to do right and not sin anymore.
7. CHRIST’S Prayer
When CHRIST taught the people to pray, HE used this prayer to illustrate the outline of content desired by GOD from us in our prayers.
8. Prayer Songs/Psalms
Whenever we pray to GOD in the form of a poem or song which we sing to ourselves and GOD, either alone or before others.
9. The Book of Hours
A collection of pre-written prayers to pray, for each hour of a twenty-four-hour period. The source of these prayers is called the script.
10. Centering Prayer
A meditative prayer in which you say little, but silently focus and concentrate on GOD and feel HIS presence in you and all around you.
11. Ecphonesis
When you call out to GOD without forethought because of sudden fear, dread, terror, elation, rapture, shanti, or anything else primal that suddenly grips us and without thinking, we instantly call out to GOD in prayer.
12. Examination of Conscience
When we use prayer to help us take an ethical inventory of either the current day or week, or our behavior in the past, as we pray to GOD for discernment and clarity of vision. We then repent to GOD when we find sin we’ve committed in the past that we were ignorant of.
13. Four-Fold Franciscan Prayer
A form of prayer from St. Francis of Assisi which is made in four actions: 1) Examine or looking at something, 2) Considering it, 3) Meditating and asking GOD for clarity and discernment, 4) Upon being explained to us then by GOD we either reject it as evil or live it as holiness.
14. Hesychasm
A form of meditative prayer where one stays physically still, closes their eyes, and prays to GOD silently, often chanting a mantra or repeated prayer.
15. CHRIST Prayer/Mantra/Chanting
The CHRIST Prayer is this: “Hinani, CHRIST in GOD, save me and forgive me my sins and save all the people of the earth who are as steeped in sin and lies as I am. Pour YOUR LOVE and mercy out on me and all the people of earth. Hinani, lord, and shanti.” Chanting The CHRIST Prayer or phrases taken from THE QUODLIBET or POEMS FOR EARTH are all valid and strong forms of prayer, either said silently, aloud or sung.
16. Praying the Prayers of Others
This is, usually when first learning how to pray, when you read aloud and pray the prayers of other people.
17. Holy Reading
This is when you read from THE QUODLIBET or POEMS FOR EARTH meditatively as an act of prayer and worship. As you read, you dialogue and listen to GOD and allow yourself to be taught and shaped by HIS words to you in this act of reading and prayer.
18. Open
When you converse with GOD organically and speak your own words and questions and hear HIS responses.
19. Lapri-Yay-JAH
This is a form of ritualized prayer used by the people of the book, THE QUODLIBET and POEMS FOR EARTH, that is to be performed three times a day.
Part Four
Prayer Notes
1. When you pray for something, you do not just pray once and wait for it to come, it is an ongoing process of communicating YOUR needs to GOD and HE responding to YOUR words.
2. A no is free, so ask for the world, just as long as it is within GOD’S livity and LAW (which is LOVE), but don’t pray for wealth or luxury or toys or anything in conflict with the word and will and livity of GOD.
3. Pray constantly to GOD in CHRIST’S name in all situations and times.
Part Five
CHRIST on Prayer
1. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites! 2. They LOVE to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. 3. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your father, who is unseen. 4. And your father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
5. When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. 6. Do not be like them. 7. Your father already knows what you need before you ask HIM.
Part Six
Sheul Paulus Hatarsi’s
Five Rules on Prayer
1. Pray always without stopping, make your interior monologue a prayer.
2. Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and always pray.
3. Only pray in glossolalia with others present, if there is a translator there.
4. Pray for others as much or more than you pray for yourself.
5. If we are humble, authentic, and devoted, GOD will hear our prayers
Part Seven
CHRIST’S Prayer in The Mountain Talk
1. Our father,
2. In the other place,
3. Let everyone know about YOUR holiness.
4. Let YOUR kingdom come to earth.
5. Let what you want to have happen, happen just like you want it to be on earth: the same as it is in the other place.
6. Give us today what we really need.
7. Forgive the debts we owe you, like we forgive the debts of people that owe us.
8. Don’t let us get tempted.
9. Save us!
10. Rescue us from the enemy’s grip.
11. It’s YOUR kingdom.
12. It’s YOUR rule.
13. It’s all YOURS for all infinity.
14. Amen!
Part Eight
CHRIST’S Prayer in The Valley Talk
1. Father:
2. May YOUR holy name be honored.
3. May YOUR kingdom come.
4. Feed us today.
5. Forgive our sins
6. Because we forgive everyone who wrongs us.
7. Please don’t test us.
8. Amen