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The concept of prayer and the many ways individuals pray could fill volumes of books to just reveal the tip of the iceberg on the subject. This article will examine a few types of prayers and emphasize that there is no better or worse method. Instead it is developing your own spiritual direction, plan or program. Your own personal relationship with God or Divinity. Indeed it is coming to understand yourself, part of your personal growth and it is a thing that may change over time as you grow. As Ecclesiastes would say from the Bible, "There is a time and a season for everything" (paraphrasure, more than exact quote). The primary emphasis of this article is to discuss the differences between rote or memorized prayer comparative to what some call prayers from the heart, or extemporaneous prayer.
Classically many denominations have prayers that are memorized and called rote prayer. These are memorized in a similar fashion to how Americans memorize the Pledge of Allegiance for the American Flag, or the National Anthem. These become parts of the culture of that religious denomination and part of most worship ceremonies. The simple "Amen" is a part of most endings to prayers throughout Christian denominations. There are strengths and weaknesses inherent in any type of prayer and we shall examine some of the strengths and weaknesses of rote prayer. One of the weaknesses of rote prayer that is usually brought forward by critics is that because the words are memorized and said over and over again in rote fashion, in many cases the person loses the real meaning of the words they are praying. The person can quickly recite the memorized prayer especially if they have repeated it many times in worship, however they may not think about the words or have faith in what they are saying. What becomes familiar is many times not really understood or sometimes taken for granted. In this respect rote prayer can lull someone into a sense of security without substance. They are praying what amounts to mumbo jumbo IF they do not understand the content of what they are praying, or are mindful of what they are saying.
On the other hand rote prayer also has some important strengths. A priest at a retreat once stated that he sat down and prayed a rote prayer with an elderly patient dying in a nursing home. The patient was in a state of senile dementia and indeed did not really seem to connect with the world. However, when the priest started to pray that memorized prayer with her, she started to repeat the words with him. A connection had been made through the haze of her dying and her dementia and she was able to join the clergyman in prayer. This illustrates one of the great strengths of rote prayer, it allows us a connection when we are under stress, a quick way of accessing comfort, a path that is well traveled for our minds and still has meaning to us by the familiarity of the words, and the comfort we have from previous association.
Another strength of rote prayer is to provide members who have memorized these prayers with a sense of community. A sense of belonging. It is very comforting to enter a worship service and be familiar with the songs or prayers in that service especially if you are visiting a church other than the one you call home. Rote or memorized prayers create community and culture, as well as continuity of passing down information and tradition to future generations and new converts. They become part of a written and oral tradition that acts as a bridge between the past and the future.
While we can see the strengths and weaknesses of rote prayer in many cases it seems for many authors that being objective about prayer from the heart is more difficult. However we will attempt to point out some of the strengths and weaknesses of prayer from the heart or extemporaneous prayer. Many of the strengths of this form of prayer are sometimes a mirror reflection of the weaknesses of rote prayer. When a person prays from the heart or extemporaneously they know the words they choose, feel the words the choose and are mentally engaged in the prayer itself. It is not something they can say while focusing on something else, as many people might say rote prayer and be thinking of what they will be doing after church or the grocery list for example. When one prays off the top of your head or from the heart you have to think about the words and there is usually more emotion and connection with the content involved. More involvement. More faith perhaps, and more focus. Another evident strength of prayer from the heart or off the top of your head, is that it can be tailored to the situation. You can craft by your words what is most appropriate for blessings or petitions without having to try to find one that has been memorized but doesnt quite fit the situation. Beyond the situation the prayer from the heart may more completely fit the emotions you are feeling far more than a memorized prayer. Length of the prayer as well as content can also be tailored to meet the needs of the situation. This form of prayer can be far more flexible than rote prayer.
However extemporaneous prayer can have it's disadvantages. When a person is under pressure or stress sometimes they go blank. It is at times like these that prayer from the heart is sometimes difficult and having memorized prayer or rote prayers to fall back on can be important. In many cases we seem to infuse our prayer with whatever emotions we are feeling. When we are depressed we want to feel comfort and not more depression. Rote prayers sometimes bring that sense of comfort based on past memories associated with those prayers. That sense of community praying with you the same prayer in one sense.
Whatever means of prayer you might choose looking at these two forms can help you understand that there are many different paths and means of communication and some of the strengths and weaknesses of both. Perhaps as was mentioned at the beginning of the article there is a time a season for many types of prayers depending on where you are in your life. Indeed it is possible that you might have many types of prayer in your life dependent on the situation. What is the best way for you to find your true voice and in that find the most effective way for you to have a personal relationship with your God. To seek personal union with Divinity. The idea of prayer for thanksgiving and petition, as well as the types of prayer we engage in are all important elements of our continuing spiritual growth. Continuing to seek the best ways of communication and of giving thanks are the best ways to progress upon our continual journey of personal growth spiritually. As we continue down this path we will surely continue to ask and receive to seek and to find and in many cases to continually find answers in our relationship with the Divine. It is an exciting journey and a continual quest and we are all challenged as we undertake to broaden our horizons with new growth in our spiritual development programs.
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