Considering Thoughts and Prayers
I hope you’ll join me today as I explore a question: Can my thoughts become prayers?
My active mind rarely takes a break. I still hear my mom’s frustrated observation, “Susie, you think too much.” It wasn’t until many years into adulthood that I considered an active mind may be a gift from God, and I needed to explore ways to be a better steward of that gift.
David was a thinker, and I’ve always loved his psalms. One day, while reading Psalm 19, I was struck by the concluding verse:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
These words caused me to wonder if just possibly my thoughts might become prayers. I asked God if He would consider this and help me. Ever so gradually, I noticed a difference in my thought-life. I was able to capture negative, critical, or worrisome thoughts more quickly, praying rather than obsessing. I complained less and was aware of deepening gratitude and prayers of thanksgiving. Perhaps some of the thoughts in my head could be “acceptable in God’s sight.”
In my reading about prayer and contemplation, the name Frank Laubach often surfaced. Laubach was a missionary to the Philippines during the early 20th century. Though brilliant and highly educated, Laubach became deeply disappointed professionally and personally.
Following a season of depression, he committed to incorporating hard work with deep devotion. He developed literacy plans for “the silent billion,” peoples in the world who could neither read nor write, becoming renowned as the “Apostle to the Illiterates.” While doing this work, he also maintained journals about his inward journey with God. As his experience deepened, he began practicing different methods of prayer and later, became the author of several books.
When I read the following Laubach quote—despite its outdated language—it resonated greatly. Although I consider myself a novice in this process of prayer, Laubach’s words encourage me to keep trying. I wondered:
What if I become more attentive to recognizing and consulting with God about “chinks of time” during my routine day’s activities? (“Chinks” definition: small, narrow cracks through which light often shines)
Is it possible that in so doing, more of God’s Divine light could shine through me?
"All during the day, in the chinks of time between the things we find ourselves obliged to do, there are the moments when our minds ask: 'What next?' In these chinks of time, ask Him: 'Lord, think Thy thoughts in my mind. What is on Thy mind for me to do now?' When we ask Christ, 'What next?' we tune in and give Him a chance to pour His ideas through our enkindled imagination. If we persist, it becomes a habit."
-Frank Laubach
Blessings on your journey of prayer,
