{"id":23187,"date":"2024-09-19T10:12:19","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T09:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=23187"},"modified":"2024-09-19T12:44:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T11:44:07","slug":"misc-the-uses-of-prayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=23187","title":{"rendered":"MiSC: The Uses of Prayer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My great and longest standing buddy, Dan Ellis, has been battling thymic cancer for several years now. It was discovered, alas, at what they call Stage Four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He posted an update on his current status yesterday. On the one hand it sounds pretty awful: constant pain, lots of quite invasive and draining treatments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other it\u2019s quite positive: he has a loving family and devoted wife, and a well remunerated and supportive\/understanding job; a very fine oncologist; and his treatments thus far have been very effective ; i.e. he\u2019s still alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not that long ago a stage four diagnosis meant imminent death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first learned of his illness, I tried to go and see him weekly. Sadly since then my own life issues have intervened and made that much harder to do. And these days I hardly ever see him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I posted a comment to his latest update, and a screenshot of Amy\u2019s response is atop this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was tempted to say Dan is \u2018in our prayers daily\u2018. But I opted instead to say \u2018in our thoughts daily.\u2019 And that got me thinking about what prayer might actually be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One definition of prayer is that we ask for intercession from a supernatural source – most popularly (\u2018though nowhere near as common as in former times), in our present culture, the \u2018all powerful\u2019 being called God – to alter the course of reality in our favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s quite obviously deluded poppycock. The recourse of desparate fools. At least in my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But another definition of prayer might simply be the speaking out of a thing \u2018devoutly\u2019 or keenly wished for. And I can see some value in that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I forget now, it\u2019s so long since I read it. Did Alain de Botton address this in his quite interesting book Religion For Atheists<\/em>? He certainly should have. So he probably did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays there\u2019s a lot of wishy-washy New-Agey stuff, and worse, where you\u2019ll hear talk of \u2018manifesting\u2019. I must confess, such stuff makes me bridle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, within both prayer and the desire to \u2018manifest\u2019, usually through such stuff as \u2018affirmations\u2019, I do see things of real genuine value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
We all need The Inner Mounting Flame<\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most important of all is the merest glimmer of hope<\/em>. One of the worst things about the energy and motivation sapping depressions I\u2019ve experienced (and am currently experiencing) is their bleakness. The absence of hope, or \u2018faith\u2019, call it what you will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A crushing sense that things will only get worse is not conducive to any kind of improvement. Perhaps prayer, or affirmations, or whatever, can be a part of a practicing of hope? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if these vocalisations of one\u2019s hopes are repeated, as is the very core of practice, then maybe they become gradually more tangible, or plausible? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It certainly seems true that constantly repeating negative stuff has the opposite effect: one\u2019s vistas shrink; less and less is possible or plausible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve certainly already discovered, through using my cue-cards, for example, the power of repeated recourse to positive ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having just read a Tolkienian re-imagining of Breton folklore, I give myself license to take on – oh, the hubris! – the trad Christian verse, known as The Lord\u2019s Prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found a Church of England website giving these two versions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern<\/strong>

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Trad<\/strong>

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
So, here goes nuttin\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh Life, whose art is heaven,
Tho\u2019 hollow seems the game
Yet days do come;
And nights, as one;
on earth we are yet in heaven.
We eat each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our mistakes, 
As we forgive the mistakes of others. 
Let us forbear from evil;
And avoid foolish council.
For this is our world,
Our hour, and our story,
For this fleeting moment.
Okay.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
I like this, as a first attempt. It\u2019s so much more humble and universal and real, than any religious prayer belonging to any tradition I\u2019ve yet encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I may \u2018worrit it\u2018, as in come back and finesse it. This is a first attempt. But I think I am going to get it printed. And start saying it daily. See how it feels\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My great and longest standing buddy, Dan Ellis, has been battling thymic cancer for several years now. It was discovered, alas, at what they call Stage Four. He posted an update on his current status yesterday. On the one hand it sounds pretty awful: constant pain, lots of quite invasive and draining treatments. On the … <\/p>\n
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