Vocal Prayer
Divine Intimacy #
Lord, teach us to pray! (Luke 11:1)
The Our Father prayer is the gateway to mental prayer - that intimate conversation with God. Jesus’ own words, “When you pray, say…” underscored the importance of vocal prayer as the starting point. It’s not meant to be a boring repetition of words, but rather a means for a movement of the heart and an elevation of the soul toward God.
In prayer, we first recollect ourselves. When teaching prayer, we explain that aligning the body is just as important as what comes from the mouth. Whether we kneel, sit, stand, or prostrate, our bodies are quiet and positioned to face God. Often, the right hand grasps the left as we demonstrate the closeness we seek with Christ. Eyes are raised to the cross or closed. Our clothes are modest; possibly women wear a veil. The door is shut, or we visualize being alone with Him, and we find ourselves in intimacy with God.
The outside is ready. Now for the inside—slow, intentional words. Our … Father … Pausing depends on where you are and how much time you have. Pausing gives attention and respect to the meaning behind the words. We let them sink into our hearts, letting the Spirit dwell within us as we lovingly recite what we know and hold dear.
Vocal prayer also prepares us for greater intimacy in prayer. It helps us become familiar with who we are speaking to, allowing God to be more real than the spoken word and leading us into deeper intimacy with Him.
I like to think of vocal prayer as something that requires no pre-planning and comes straight from the heart and mind. When I am irritated by someone, I pray a memorized prayer. When I am perplexed, worried, in doubt, or unable to express myself, I turn to this type of prayer. It often leads me to mental prayer, words spoken from my heart because I know Christ is with me and is listening with great intention.
Since I have learned to pray, I can now feel confident saying, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening, for prayer is a conversation between Him and me, no matter what form it takes.