Prayer by Henri Nouwen

Have you felt at loss for words to pray? I have. The current needs of our city and our world is so great.. so heavy. Some Most times, I find myself loss for words.

I came across Henri Nouwen’s prayer posted below. It is not one of those poetic prayers that rhymes (oh how I am thankful for those!). But in his honest prayer, Nouwen reminds me that prayer is simply going coming to God. He ends his prayer with “Teach me to pray.” I am encouraged. We all need help from God, even in praying.

Interestingly, in a much different time than ours, Nouwen is also wanting ”to dwell in your [God’s] house.” At this time of social distancing, silence is loud (perhaps not, if you have kids staying home). But the mind… your mind and mine can be loud with silence or loud with thoughts. As Nouwen prayed, may God be the author of where our mind goes and a teacher to our prayers...

“Listen, O Lord, to my prayers. Listen to my desire to be with you, to dwell in your house, and to let my whole being be filled with your presence. But none of this is possible without you. When you are not the one who fills me, I am soon filled with endless thoughts and concerns that divide me and tear me away from you. Even thoughts about you, good spiritual thoughts, can be little more than distractions when you are not their author.

Every day I see again that only you can teach me to pray, only you can set my heart at rest, only you can let me dwell in your presence. No book, no idea, no concept or theory will ever bring me close to you unless you yourself are the one who lets these instruments become the way to you.

But Lord, let me at least remain open to your initiative; let me wait patiently and attentively for that hour when you will come and break through all the walls I have erected.

Teach me, O Lord, to pray.

Amen.”

--From A Cry for Mercy by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Ju Lynn Stinton is an associate pastor at Tapestry Marpole
Photo by Ruben Hutabarat