Praying on Mondays - contemplative prayer every monday at 7.30pm

Praying on Mondays:   It’s a good habit!!
I believe there are as many forms of prayer in the world as there are grains of sand. It can also take a very long time to find an approach to prayer that is just right for each person.
As Christians, we  offer prayers of Praise to give glory to God;  we pray for Blessing, asking God’s protection for ourselves, family, special events; we pray in Gratitude for all that we have received and, in our humanity, we are usually interceding with some prayer of Petition.  On Monday nights at the House of Prayer our personal prayer takes a variety of forms because it is private and there is no set formula, although we do follow the liturgical seasons and on the fourth Monday our prayer is focused on Peace. 
Whatever the purpose or reason of our prayer, there comes a simple satisfaction of heart in speaking to God, whoever we perceive God to be - our soul’s Creator, Parent, Beloved or Cosmic Mystery.
When our prayer is meditative, one may feel a calmness and quiet surrender to God which is felt at the very core of our being.  Sometimes we come just to prayer simply to remain silent, in simplicity, resting in the Presence, not saying anything and not meditating on anything, not asking anything, but simply being.
 
Monday night Prayer has been a continuum of the House of prayer for decades.  This time offers an opportunity to continually develop one’s own prayer life;  it offers an opportunity to commit to a particular prayer form on a regular basis and also contributes to cultivating an environment of shared prayer, the heartbeat of the House ministries.
 
Contemplative prayer, such as we offer on Monday nights at the House of Prayer, might at first, be a challenge or perhaps even a little boring for those of us who struggle sitting in stillness and quiet for an hour. However, for those of us who have made a commitment to this sacred time and space, it is very much considered to be the fastest hour of the week and brings to us the experience of peace and calm which sets up the platform from which we can move forward to operate for the rest of the week.  It can also at times bring us face to face with life challenges which we struggle to deal with. This time of quiet can often sort out confused or distorted feelings and help us to unravel the muddle of thoughts that so often can plague us. With a bit of practice and patience we are invited to allow this form of prayer to become a wonderful experience, which is life giving and spiritually uplifting.  We can ignore or use the prompts of the prayer guide, or simply allow ourselves to be gently lulled into the silence by the music 
An extra bonus is the chatter before and after the quiet time plus the occasional shared meal or cuppa.
When and where:
Prayer starts at 7:30pm every Monday and typically lasts one hour.  If you’re early, access is by the front or office doors.  However closer to 7.30pm, access is via the verandah and the ramp to the Chapel entrance. 

Want more info on prayer:Visit https://aleteia.org/2013/01/21/what-is-contemplative-prayer
Just come along and give it a try - You will be made most welcome!Loraine Peach