6/40-final

Fittingly, I’d like to share with you a little of
what I know about prayer and then give you some
simple, straightforward directions on how to pray.

• Start out by naming God with whatever name
  you want to use to identify that which cannot be
  named: “Higher Power,” “HaShem,” “Jesus,” “Allah,”
  “Jevovah,” “Tao,” “Mother,” etc. (You don’t have to
  always use the same
  one.)
• Pause.
• Send your active mind
  to do a quick survey of how you feel, give some
  attention to your physical body, your thoughts, and
  your emotions.
• Breathe.
• Repeat the
  name you’ve chosen for God.
• Let go of your
  inner critic and just allow yourself to start
  talking either aloud or in your
  heart.
• Pause.
• Breathe.
• Optional:
  say, “Amen.” (Amen comes from
  the Hebrew root word for “faith.” It is customarily
  said as an expression of
  concurrence.)

The first time you do
this — if this is not something that you are used to
doing — it will feel awkward. But, as they say about
push-ups, “You only get good at ’em by doing ’em.”

The idea of directly addressing God felt like an
anathema to me for years. And, I will tell you that
when I’m “alone” and do so, I still feel goofy.
Larry’s Simple Prayers really inspired me.

And now, I’m praying — not rote Hebrew prayers, but
improvised, heart-felt prayers — more than ever before.

And, so, fittingly, let me conclude this issue of The
77% Weekly with a prayer:

God.
Thank you.
Thank you for all the many blessings in my life.
Thank you for my wife and my son.
Thank you for being with me on this journey — in my
life as a while and in this somewhat eclectic
ministry.
I’m really happy these days.
That’s it.
Thanks again.

Brian

With love,


Rabbi Brian