How to pray

After Matthew 6:5-8 

It’s rather simple,

actually, this lesson

on how to pray. First,

go into your room,

your private room,

away from distractions

and audiences like

other people, Next,

shut the door, making

your private place

even more private.

Then, pray. 

Fourth is how you

Pray. Keep it simple;

don’t keep adding

words because you

think it sounds cool

or that more is better

or that you like

the sound of your own

voice. In this case,

more is not better, and

for a simple reason.

The one to whom you

pray already knows

what your needs are;

in fact, he knows them

better than you do.

 

Photograph by Aaron Burden via Unsplash. Used with permission.

How not to pray

After Matthew 6:5-8 

The how-to begins

with an assumption

that you already pray,

contained rather neatly

in the first word

of when you pray.

The assumption is

followed by a how-not-to,

implying that it’s often

done wrong, or that

the most prominent 

examples of prayer are

those that are public,

whether done within

small groups or on

street corners. It’s yet

another example 

of virtue signaling,

and here we in our time

thought we had 

that market cornered.

If that’s how you pray,

then you’ve received

your reward and

your prayer has been

answered, just not

the way you expected.

Or maybe it is.

 

Photograph by Raphael Nast via Unsplash. Used with permission.