By Hal Green
Pondering Prayer
When you pray, seek to enter into a “prayer state.” To understand prayer states, I offer two examples. First, concerning brain waves. Five electrical brain waves have been determined. They are — from the slowest deep sleep to the fastest frequency while processing information — delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma. Alpha, in the middle, occurs when you are daydreaming, meditating or praying and are relaxed and calm. You can also enter into alpha through deep breathing. When you are fully awake and resting in the moment, you are in alpha.
The second example has to do with the difference between a monologue and a dialogue. To refer to Jesus’ instruction on prayer: “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:6-8).
When you pray, you enter into a private dialogue where God may reward you in secret. Note that the atmosphere differs when you are speaking with another person. Prayer is not meant to be a monologue but a dialogue. When you pray, do so in the faith-generated atmosphere that God is truly listening and will respond to you in God’s timing and way. A prayer state is a form of mutual atmosphere, just like having an honest and heartfelt dialogue with a loved one, someone who knows you so well that you can speak “shorthand” rather than “longhand.”
Once in a prayer state, you can learn to stay there for longer periods. Even though you will have thoughts, feelings and the like distract you, not all of you will be distracted. You can remain in a prayer state in the midst of whatever distracts you. Once distracted, while still connected to your prayer state, you can gently return your full attention to God, never having completely abandoned your prayer state.
Prayer states can be of varying lengths and intensities. At the highest level of prayer intensity, you can enter into what is termed “ecstasy” or an “ecstatic state of being.” The word “ecstasy” comes from the Greek language and means literally “to stand outside oneself.” It can be a delightful rapture, a temporary but extreme happiness.
In the context of a prayer state, ecstasy means to stand outside your embodied single self in the world while standing in the Spirit of God. It is nothing to fear; rather, it is a wondrous moment of pure mutuality with God. You should seek, accept and freely enter this prayer state every time it is available to you in prayer. Entering it is the first thing I do every morning, as I turn fully to the Beloved.
Under the impact of an ecstatic prayer state, sensing God’s presence, the Psalmist wrote:
“O LORD, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it” (Psalm139:1-6).
I invite you to pray these six verses. Then, answer these four questions:
- What does the text say?
- What does it say to me?
- What do I want to say to God?
- What does God want to say to me?
(Hal Green, Ph.D., is author of Pray This Way to Connect with God. You can contact him at drhalgreen@gmail.com.)
