The Prayer Pyramid
Msgr. Chester Michael gave us a list of five basic steps for daily prayer. These can be learned as a “prayer pyramid” as an analogy to the food pyramid. Life can be sustained without a daily nourishment from each block of the pyramid. Health, vitality, and growth, however, depend on balanced regular nourishment from each block. These are:
1) Giving Praise / Gratitude
2) Discerning 3) Petitioning
4) Asking for God’s Blessing on other people
5) Reflecting on the day: celebrating success and acknowledging failures
(If this does not look like a pyramid on your browser, please use your imagination.)
First, we begin each day by giving praise for God’s goodness and thanks for gifts received, lessons learned and the gift of a new day. This puts things in perspective and establishes a correct relationship with God. Second, we ask God’s help in discerning God’s plan for us during the coming day. Remember that God’s plan is for our well-being and that the coming day will often include recreation as well as work.
Third, having discerned God’s plan, we say a prayer of petition, asking God’s help in fulfilling that plan.
Fourth, we ask blessings for those in need and those whom we will meet during the day. Fifth, at the end of the day we reflect on the day’s activities, considering and celebrating our successes and acknowledging our failures and drawing lessons from each. We should spend twice as much time celebrating as in acknowledging.
Now, if I can just figure out the discernment part.
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