All blessings come to us through our Lord

LIVING | SPIRITUAL LIFE DEVELOPMENT

How we pray is different for all of us. Like a conversation with a friend, the topic and our emotions are always different. We hope that the person receiving our words is listening, but that means we need to listen, too.

Frank Laubach says, “the trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he (or she) says ‘Amen’ and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving Him our ideas.” Part of our running away is because we don’t know how to wait and listen for a response. As we grow and mature in our faith (lots of practice and discipline), we deepen our understanding through various rhythms by waiting and listening in prayer.

A Christian mystic, Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), spent years praying and communicating with God. Then like many of us, she fell away from her prayer life, only to come back to a full, engaging, and fruitful relationship. Her encounters and experiences helped develop a four–part vision for our soul connecting to our prayer life. She describes these metaphors as part of the Lord’s garden. Our prayer life is the water that flows to the flowers (our virtues) which bloom into the Fruits of the Spirit. To water the flowers, we must see where the water comes from and how it gets there.

PART 1: Drawing the water by hand

As a beginner, there is a lot of focus and attention needed to be present during prayer. Our distractions and thoughts take over so quickly, the work is in letting go of the distractions. Like collecting water from a well, we place that bucket deep into the well and pull to bring the water up. While trying to be steady with the bucket, the water sloshes out, and by the time the bucket reaches the top, a good amount is missing. The water then needs to be transported to the garden. Again, like our prayer life, there is a lot of work in practicing meditation and contemplation. It may feel that the connection with God is just enough to experience His presence, but there is still work to be done. The foundation work takes time, but our prayer life is being nourished by going back to God every time.

PART 2: The pump – more water, less labor

Next, the person who prays begins to recognize the fruitfulness of prayer. With continued practice in meditation and contemplation, the prayer time feels less like hard work and more natural. Like a pump at a well, there is still work to pump the water, but far more water is collected with less labor. This doesn’t mean that prayer life is easy, but the work done is more fruitful, and a deeper connection with God is evident because you can rest. There is now more water for the flowers. In When The Well Runs Dry by Thomas H. Green, he says, “There is a newfound joy simply in being still in the presence of the Lord, just as good friends find joy simply in being together.”

PART 3: Streams – better ways of watering

The pump is an improvement from pulling the bucket up the well, and there is a better way to water the garden. There is still work, but there is an even greater reward, which are gifts from God. The third way of drawing water to the garden is to feed it from a river or stream. The water soaks the ground, and reaches the roots of the

flowers, so there is no need to water them as frequently. God does more work within you, as you do less. The need to refocus diminishes while faith in God flourishes. The internal work is the desire to want to be with God rather than feel forced to be with Him. A natural stream or river that flows is refreshing.

PART 4: Rain – a better way of watering

The other part of this gift from God is the rain. How naturally and freely does it pour down and saturate the ground? The water is abundant and covers the whole garden. This gift leaves the gardener, the person who prays, to sit in God’s presence during prayer and be saturated by God’s work within.

Dear one, be patient in your prayer journey. God already knows your heart and your desires. He is listening and waiting for you to listen to Him.

More Prayer Resources

Our prayer lives vary, and sometimes we are unsure where to begin. Teresa of Avila’s metaphor for prayer as described by the Lord’s garden is detailed in a way that makes understanding the work we put into prayer. It does not always come easy or naturally, but there is assurance that God only desires to meet with you. Are you searching for a practical resource to engage in the four prayer levels described by Teresa of Avila?

Online Resource: A resource has been created to guide you through your journey. Draw Near is a resource based on the book When the Well Runs Dry by Thomas H. Green. This simplified resource helps you prepare, practice, and reflect on your prayer journey. The Spiritual Life Development Department has this resource available in hard copy or download in the SLD link on saconnects.org/sld.

Detailed Reading: Are you looking for a more detailed reading? Check out When the Well Runs Dry: Prayer Beyond the Beginnings by Thomas H. Green. Green analyzes the nature of prayer by guiding those experiencing difficulty in their prayer journey with the works of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.

by JOANNA POLAREK