Louisville Process Theology Network

Oneness and God within Us

Feb 19, 2010

"Prayer is not only the ?‘lifting of the mind and heart to God?’, but it is also the response to God within us, the discovery of God within us; it leads ultimately to the discovery and fulfillment of our own true being in God. Prayer, in other words, is not just something that we do; it is a perspective-giving element that directs our whole life.

Prayer involves ?‘mutuality.?’ It is not just that we seek God. God seeks us, indeed more than we seek God. Prayer means entering into ?‘mystery.?’ This means that, when we do not enter into mystery, we do not pray. Prayer is a discovery of our own creature-hood, our own dependence on God.

Recognizing our dependence becomes a recognition of the God on whom we depend. Recognizing our sinfulness is recognizing the mercy God extends to us. Prayer is taking joy in our poverty and God?’s mercy?…?”

In Merton?’s words ?–

?“We should not, therefore, regard prayer simply as a cry from own heart seeking an answer from God: for if we are moved to prayer by divine grace, then our prayer is also our response to God seeking the love our own hearts. Let us recognize, then, that our supernatural desires are a response to His infinitely mysterious desires. He seeks us more than we seek him.?”