According to Matthew, Jesus was annoyed by showy public prayers and much preferred the secret, solitary kind (Matthew 6:5-14). I always want to mention these verses when I hear someone say something like, "We didn't have terrible things like [fill in the blank] until they took prayer out of the schools." I think Jesus might have equated athletic fields with street corners in his instructions if he had anticipated the fondness some people feel for prayer before football games. I love Jeff Foxworthy's, "Lord, prepare them for the butt kicking they are about to receive" version of football prayer. I have no intention of wading into the hornet's nest of kneeling on the football field for prayer or protest or crediting God with sports victories. I'm just making the point that the Bible suggests going alone into a room, shutting the door, and using natural language for prayer.
Mary Oliver's poem "Praying" is so short, that I'll just type it out below.
It doesn't have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don't try
to make them elaborate, this isn't
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
Oh my goodness, she is so right. Wandering around alone (or with a dog) outside has a lot in common with going into a room and closing the door. Cecil and I pass beautiful lawns and flowers and woodsy vacant lots with weeds on our daily walks, and honestly, at times the abundance of life overwhelms me with gratitude and awe. Sometimes I patch a simple prayer together and sometimes I let the birds and frogs do it. I highly recommend taking a daily walk through the doorway into thanks.
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