How do we concretely move from head to heart? When I lie in my bed, not able to fall asleep because of my many words and worries; when I am preoccupied with all the things that I must do or that can go wrong; when I can't take my mind off my concern for a needy or dying friend – what am I supposed to do? Pray? Fine, but how do I do this?
One simple way is by slowly repeating a particular prayer with as much attentiveness as possible. Focused prayer, first in the mind and then repeated in the heart, becomes easier the more you practice. When you know the “Our Father,” the “Glory Be to God,” or the “Lord, Have Mercy” by heart, you have something to start with. Just by praying those prayers repeatedly. You might like to learn by heart the Twenty-third Psalm (“The Lord is my shepherd…”) or Paul's words about love to the Corinthians, or the Prayer of St. Francis (“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…”). As you lie in bed, drive your car, wait for the bus, or walk your dog, you can slowly let the words of one of these prayers go through your mind down to your heart by trying to listen with your whole being to what you are repeating. You may be distracted by your worries, but if you keep going back to the words of the prayer, you will gradually discover that your worries become less obsessive, your attention becomes more focused, and you really start to enjoy praying. As prayer descends from your mind into the center of your being, you will discover its healing power.
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