Cadence in Praying: 4 Prayers Each Day
Cadence in Praying?
Cadence of Praying
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Simply put, for me it means a pattern, a rhythmic sequence to prayers that I rely on. And of course it means the prayers that make up that sequence.
Cadence relates to rhythm, tempo, beat. I’ll bet you can immediately identify a cadence that personally appeals to you. Rainfall on a tin roof. Waves crashing on the shore. Hands clapping to a well-known song. The business world has taken cadence to mean the regular and relied upon repetition of certain actions or events.
Consider bringing together those interpretations of cadence: the pleasure and comfort drawn from something that reliably recurs as we expect it to. And by expecting it we come to enjoy it. Perhaps by enjoying it, we come to expect it.
Cadence in praying. How many examples are there of prayers said, repeated at an assigned time and perhaps in an assigned way? There are many! Almost every religion says a certain prayer at a certain time. That is cadence in praying.
I have brought it home for me on a daily basis. A morning prayer. A midday prayer. An end-of-day prayer. A bedtime prayer. What does the cadence do for me? What does it mean to me?
My 4 daily prayers encourage me to look at each portion of my day as it is about to unfold and as it has unfolded.
Morning Prayer
Praying for my morning as it is just beginning grounds and motivates and confidences me. My morning prayer affirms my oneness with spirit from the moment my eyes open and my heart welcomes a new day. The prayer affirms that my day will be beautiful. I’ve learned that expecting a beautiful day almost always creates one.
Good Friend, I feel you in my heart
when I awaken.
I feel you shine on me throughout the day today.
Thank you, God. Amen.
Midday Prayer
When I pause in the middle of the day, I allow my gratitude to look over whatever I have done and accomplished thus far. Then I encourage myself to look forward to what is yet to be done, to be accomplished. As with the morning prayer, affirming a successful second half of the day usually produces one.
Sharer of Blessings, this day thus far
you have given me
the opportunity to put forth effort
and to accomplish meaning.
With others and on my own, I achieved.
I am thankful for these blessings.
I am thankful to continue with real creative energy
for the rest of the day.
Thank you, Sharer of Blessings.
And so it is. Amen.
End of Day Prayer
This is really an end of the work day prayer. For me its beauty is separating the energies expended and enjoyed at work from the energies engaged and relished when my work is done. That is at the end of the day. For you that may be whatever time you move from what is your work to what is your free time. One joy I take from this prayer is my moving from day’s work to evening’s rest. The other joy is, like the previous prayer, the combination of gratitude for what I’ve done with affirmation of what is yet to manifest.
Sweet Spirit, in your presence
I unwind this day, starting now and looking back,
moment to moment, encounter to encounter.
I gather all the goodness and joy,
in gratitude.
And now I look to the evening shadows
and receive what they tell me,
seeking healing, courage and forgiveness.
Thank you, God. Amen.
Bedtime Prayer
This prayer takes me into dreams. It says goodnight to my day and it beckons a peaceful night’s sleep and all the rewards that will bring, in the night and tomorrow.
Giver of Dreams, I go to sleep
wrapped in thanks for this day of living,
this time of knowing and enjoying
your presence and your power
within and around me.
I am restul for this night
that I may be eager for tomorrow.
I thank you, God. Amen.
So, there you have my regular, cadenced 4 prayers-a-day. Feel free to use them, edit them, take great liberties with them as you wish. You may also find inspiration and great prayer ideas at the World Prayers sited. And if you are at all hesitant about your praying, the Comfortable Praying series may interest you.
Sticking to the Cadence
And one last thought: remembering the cadence. Until the habit is built, you may have difficulty adhering to your cadence. I certainly did. Here are 5 tips:
- Tie each prayer to a consistent action of that time of day. My morning prayer is when I’m pouring the first cup of coffee, for example.
- Relate the prayer to a physical feeling you have at about the same time every day. For me, that feeling is hunger as lunch time approaches. That reminds me of my midday prayer.
- Use your cell phone or computer to sound a (peaceful) alarm.
- Associate an action with the reason for the prayer. Getting in my car to drive home from the office, or turning off my work computer if I’m working from home, signals the break between my work and my not-work. That reminds me of my end-of-day prayer.
- The bedtime prayer is usually the easiest for anyone to remember because many of us were raised with that prayer as a regular occurrence. For me a specific moment to key my prayer is when I hear the click of turning out the light.
Thanks for joining me in your own prayerful life.
November 25, 2019
In: Oneness, Prayer, Praying · Tagged with: creativity, Prayer, praying
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