The Reflection Of The Prayer - 1054 Words

Every night before I fall asleep I say the Serenity Prayer. The prayer is one of my most treasured comforts and makes me feel like I have a clean slate very 24 hours. It allows me to exhale the toxic worries I have acquired throughout the day and leaves me refreshed and lighter. The prayer comes naturally to me: addressing God, asking for inner peace, and moving on to tell Him about my day until suddenly I am deeply, happily asleep. There is only one issue: I do not believe in God. From a young age I made my mind up about religion, or at least made up for me. Growing up with an Agnostic mother and an Atheist dad who was a lawyer on the Los Angeles priest child molestation cases did not leave much room for religious exploration. Even as a child the word religion brought up frightening words in my mind: exclusion, rape, hell, punishment, and fear. My aunt on my father s side was extremely religious. Over time my Aunt took on the roll of arch nemesis in my childhood chronicles. She was the Cruella DeVille to my 101 Dalmatians and looked in very way just like the Disney villain. She was small boned and had fantastic posture, as if a metal rod had replaced her spine. Her skinny body looked weathered and hardened, and the lines around my Aunt’s forehead were crisp and precise as were her movements. Everything about her was clear, calculated, and controlled. She was terrifying. I cannot tell you exactly when my nightly ritual of the serenity prayer began. It was a slowShow MoreRelatedPrayer Reflection On The Prayer1057 Words   |  5 PagesPrayer is an openness to God. It is a means of being in a continual relationship with God. This prayer reflection report was based on praying earnestly for seven leaders who seemed in need of God’s leading in their roles. The seven leaders chosen were from the following backgrounds: pastors, departmental heads and school administrators. These leaders seem to lack Divine wisdom, vision, empathy and humility. The only solution to see a transformation in leadership is to pray fervently for leadersRead MorePrayer 750 Word Reflection Of Prayer1000 Words   |  4 Pages Evening Prayer 750 Word Reflection Prayer has been a part of the life of the Church from the very beginning. In Acts 2:42 Luke tells how the Christians â€Å"devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers†. In Acts 3:1 Paul tells of Peter and John going to the temple ‘at the hour of prayer’. The first Christians through remembrance, thanksgiving and prayer linked their daily lives to the story of God. While people offered prayer individuallyRead MoreA Reflection On The Prayer Room1545 Words   |  7 Pagesatmosphere of Sunday morning Mass was unable to reduce the number of enthusiastic Christians, who were excitedly waiting for Mass. At the corner of the magnificent crowded Church, there was a relatively tiny gloomy room, called a prayer room. Genuflecting in the prayer room, I was emotionally and physically fatigued after spending the whole night before, confessing my intolerable guilt to God—my ridiculous infatuation with my brother’s friend. Surely, the chemical attraction between two ordinaryRead MoreTheology: God and Prayer Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesReflection Paper: Prayer and Character Development Twila S. Cooper Theology 104 November 16, 2012 Professor White INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to reveal a direct correlation between prayer and character development. It is crucial that Christians fully understand this tool that has been put in place in order for us to be able to communicate with the Lord, our Creator. Praying and communing with the Lord leads to and builds not only a stronger relationshipRead MorePrayer By Thomas Keating, Contemplative Prayer1515 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Contemplative prayer is a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent to a divine union. It is the way to pure faith.† Unlike with vocal prayers, in which we call out to God asking for things we need, with contemplative prayer our role is to allow God to be God. In other words, God directs Contemplative prayer, His grace opens our hearts and minds to the His presence inside us. Consequently, contemplative prayer begins with a centering prayer, which is a silent prayer that preparesRead MoreThe Good Shepherd And Thomas Groome s Shared Christian Praxis1567 Words   |  7 Pageswith small tables, chairs, and shelves. A child’s capacity for understanding God should be taken seriously, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd does this. In fact, it can be said that â€Å"children have an extraordinary capacity for prayer,† and â€Å"theirs is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, which expresses the nearness and transcendence of God† (Cavalletti, 44). Through the Atrium, the children are able to build a relationship of love with the Good Shepherd, and they are able to learn and embraceRead MorePrayer Is An Essential Discipline Of The Christian Faith1228 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Prayer is an essential discipline of the Christian faith. History and cultural differences show us that many people engage in many different ways and techniques to pray and communicate with God. How do you find the right way for you? Summarise your original understanding of the discipline before the course started Having been a Christian for many years I thought that I had a fair knowledge of what it meant to pray. I was amazed and humbled by the idea that through Jesus’ restorativeRead MorePrayer in School Essay example1375 Words   |  6 Pagestoday are without school prayer, most schools have replaced prayer, with a Silent moment of reflection. Also, the assumption if there is a God or not is a big question as well. I think prayer should be re-instated into schools, because children should be able to express religion freely. I also feel that lack of discipline; youth pregnancy, dropouts, and violence in schools are other issues that can be more controllable if there were religious classes and school prayer. Public schools exist toRead More A Visit to A Mosque In America Essay1206 Words   |  5 Pagesis a fountain in front of the Mosque and a second fountain inside the vestibule. These fountains have come from as far away as Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia and are merely for decoration though in older times fountains were used for washing before prayer. Upon entering the Mosque, I enter into a vestibule with a decorative fountain in the middle and a hallway to each side lined with a shelf for shoes. Shoes are not worn in a Mosque because it is a place of worship to Allah, the Arabic word forRead MoreChristian Leadership : A Christian Leader1048 Words   |  5 Pagesanyone has the authority to speak on Christian leadership, it is Henri Nouwen because of his professorship at Ivy League Universities and long-standing role as a priest. Yet Nouwen leans not on either of these credentials; instead, he shares his reflections on leadership that he learned while serving at Daybreak community for handicapped people. What is more, Nouwen learned the most amazing leadership principles when he was asked to speak in Washington D. C. on leadership and Daybreak sent a resident