Eclectic Amateur

Hilary writes some more, this time on prayer:

Today I had a conversation with Fr. Spiritual Director about prayer. I said that I simply didn’t know how to pray. What does it consist of? How do you know when you are praying and when you are just sitting there thinking about God? When you are daydreaming? When you are merely thinking or spacing out?

I am certainly aware that most of the time when I want to be, I am not praying. I am conscious of being repelled by prayer as well as nearly equally drawn to it. The struggle to enter into prayer is the most immediate battle in fighting the Giant.

I told Fr. Sp.D. that I really didn’t understand prayer and it was a big obstacle to trying it. (Here’s a secret for you all, if you see me “praying” in church, it is likely that I am sitting there doing something entirely different.)

I have the same problem… have know it for at least twenty years. I hope Hilary can eventually share what Fr.Sp.D. advised as the correction.