Simon Robson - Blog 8 - Reflection on my Prayer (Phenomenology of Prayer)

Thoughts on my Conversations with God

Simon Robson

12/12/2020

    Today as I was reading some stuff from “The Phenomenology of Prayer” I came to a section about what we should pray for. This had me thinking about the ways that I pray and the things that I pray for. The section started out talking about how it is appropriate to pray for the needs of others and try to take on these burdens ourselves. I often find myself praying for the needs of other people as much as I can. If anyone I know or any of their families need prayers I try my best to remember to pray for them. I often pray for needs of my own as well too but not in the form of material things. I pray for strength and for good sleep and things like that. 

That was the next thing that this section talked about. It said that you should not pray for material things. The only way that it says you should pray for goods is if you ask for good as a means to do good. This is not something that I often do but is something that I will maybe think about praying for more often. It says that this kind of prayer is then not only a request but also a promise to share in God’s generosity. 

I consider myself pretty consistent in my prayer. I pray every night before I go to sleep as well as when I sit down to eat with my family. My prayers are often quite similar though so it is important for me to continue to be serious and intentional in my prayers. I always pray for the safety of myself and all of those around me. I also pray for forgiveness of sins. I continue to pray especially for those who I am very close to and those that I love. Another part that is important to remember is thankfulness. I make sure to pray and give thanks for all that he has given me in my life. Finally I pray for the needs of my own and of other people. 

While it is good that I continue to pray every night it is important to understand the significance of it and treat it as intentional conversation with God. Reading about the phenomenology of prayer is helpful in remembering this and thinking critically about it. Without prayer a large part of religion is missing and there is no spiritual relationship to be had.


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