HOW CAN I PRAY? -- (Excerpt from Our Faith Today -- January 1998)

You are made for prayer, just as iron filings are made to move toward the magnet. First, realize that this is something you are created to do. So, in learning to pray -- just start praying. Use the words you know and talk to God about things on your heart. Just pray about your life. There's more than enough going on to pray about!

Second, don't let anyone else's praying intimidate you. Never worry about being a beginner. Remember, the "prayer warriors" had to start somewhere. Besides, there is no one-size-fits-all way to pray. Even the most devoted people of prayer may not pray in ways suitable for you.

Third, don't judge your praying by how it makes you feel, or whether it "works." The ultimate point of prayer is not to feel any certain thing. Rather, prayer is given to us so we can commune with God. It is the means to sharing our hearts with the God who has made us and longs to have fellowship with us.

Finally, as you settle into your way of praying, you'll be helped as you choose books about prayer, read books of prayers, and talk with others about prayer. These are lifelong "brush strokes" on your basic prayer painting. We all learn and enrich our praying through these means. The most seasoned prayer veterans are still learning new things. To pray is to grow!

-- Steve Harper, dean of the Chapel of the Upper Room in Nashville, TN