Sacred Rhythms of Prayer

My first semester in seminar—Asbury Seminary for those who are curious—I was assigned the task of leading a group through the book Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton. We met a Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax weekly. I liked the book so much that six of us decided to repeat the book as soon as we reached the last page. That was ten years ago.

Now I am leading another group through the book: our Spiritual Formation Coaching Certification program. This is the third time for me—and am finding the book every bit as delightful as before. Especially this week’s chapter, Chapter Four, entitled Prayer: Deepening Our Intimacy with God.

If you had asked me a month ago what Sacred Rhythms says about prayer, I would not have remembered this chapter. It must not have impressed me back in 2015, at least not as much as the other chapters, such as the one on Solitude or Lectio Divinia. But in this season of suffering, my soul is fertile ground for what this chapter offers.

In this chapter, Ruth describes sitting before the Lord in silence. Listening to how the Holy Spirit is praying for us, to pass “beyond words into the realm where the Holy Spirit groans for us with utterances that are too deep for words,” on page 70. Even before I picked up the book I was doing this. Sitting in the red chair in my living room trying my best to do, in Dallas Willard’s words, “Absolutely nothing.” In the red chair, in silence, I have been sensing God tending to me. I do nothing but hold space for him. Being still in the presence of God who comes to fill the emptiness and longing in my soul.

But Chapter Four has more. Ruth also introduces us to the breath prayer where we find a short sentence, less than eight syllables, and then let it become part of the rhythm of our breathing. She suggests trying various phrases that express your longing for God or asking the Holy Spirit how he is praying for you.

Here is what I discovered:

Lord how are you praying for me? That you would rejoice in your limits, your creatureliness.

I’ve got several breathe prayers I am experimenting with:

                  Lord, mold me into your likeness.

                  Lord, make me who you made me to be.

                  Lord, help me sense your love.

Lord, open my heart to receive your love.

                  Lord, help me become who you made me to be.

Some are longer than eight syllables and some are similar to each other. I am trying them out to see which one is right for me in this season.

I encourage you to join me in my experiment. Read the chapter—and the book. Or find a YouTube video of Ruth Haley Barton online and learn more about how we can pray without ceasing—as we breathe.

Enjoy!

Betsy