A Recipe for Basic Prayer

If you're not in the habit of praying for more than a few minutes a day, I suggest trying the following thirty-minute recipe for "basic prayer." Like the "basic bread" recipe in "The Joy of Cooking," you can use this template to create seemingly infinite variations to suit your particular taste and style. Just try this approach until you get the hang of it, and gradually branch out if you feel the need. If it is helpful, play some soothing instrumental music during this time.

By Eric Elnes, adapted from his book "Asphalt Jesus."

Clearing (5 minutes)

Use this time to relax and let your soul catch up with your body. Take a series of deep breaths, letting them out slowly. As you do, try to clear away any obstacles you may have brought with you to experiencing God's presence. Some people like to ring a bell at the beginning, letting go of thoughts as the bell's reverberations fade away.


Focusing (5 minutes)

You may wish to read a few verses from Scripture or another writing you consider sacred. Whatever it is, it should be a kind that tells your intuitive self, "I'm now actively preparing to listen to the voices around my table, especially the voice of God." You may also wish to bring a particular question to the table. If you do, be open to the possibility that this may not be the subject God wants to talk about (trusting that whatever God wants to talk about is in your best interests to hear).

Listening (10 minutes)

Pay attention to thoughts and voices that enter your head. Don't decide too quickly that they're not of God. Instead, try to gently trace the origins, paying careful attention to your gut feelings about them. Do they make you scared, angry, anxious, calm, joyful? If you are exploring a particular question you've brought to the table, it is often helpful to intentionally ask, "What is my free child saying?" "What is my pessimist saying?" and so forth. There are normally a number of voices who show up regularly at your table. Who are they, and what are they saying?

Asking (5 minutes)

When most people pray, asking is all they do. They offer God their laundry list and then wonder why God never seems to get around to it. The truth is that God does want you to ask for things in prayer. However, God wants you to ask from your truest self. Chances are good that whatever is in the best interest of your truest self (not your paranoid self or your scared self or your "I just want to get ahead" self) is of more interest to God than it is even to you.

Thanking (5 minutes)

The mystics have always known that gratitude is one of the most powerful spiritual forces there is. Just like a child who asks and takes without ever thanking her parents rarely benefits from what is given, so an adult who never focuses on giving rarely receives. End your prayer time with gratitude. It is the surest way to set yourself up for continuing to invite Jesus to the head of your internal table throughout the day.

Excerpted from "Asphalt Jesus" by Eric Elnes