Praying into Passions

Praying into Passions

11/23/15

(Phenomenology of Prayer)

Our textbook addresses how Edward Mooney suggests that "prayer is properly understood as arising out of our passionate life." Frustratingly, most western traditions have begun to undermine and devalue human passions-viewing them with suspicion, fear, and even belittling them into merely unrealistic and meaningless breaths of thought. However, we may then see the significant connection between prayers and passions. 

Prayer connects us deeply with the passionate world within ourselves and others. As we attend through prayer to the passions that others hold, we immediately become intertwined with those passions. The practice of prayer moves us towards "a more compassionate, merciful, faithful, and responsible life." 

I have found this to be true in my personal prayer life. When I begin to pray for others and their dreams and passions, I find myself caring much more about those things than I would have otherwise. Committing to communicate with the Divine on someone else's behalf will immediately intertwine your desires with and for theirs.