Pray always

"When I pray I feel my heart go deeper into my God. Right here, right now, right where I am, I pray."

- Daniel Nahmod

"He told them a parable on the necessity of praying always and not losing heart."

- Luke 18:1

I recall a time when I was teaching and a student asked, "Is the best time to pray morning, noon or night?"

I said, "Yes."

The class chuckled, thinking I was making yet another corny attempt to keep my teaching infused with humor. However, this time I was not joking.

There is no wrong time to pray, and as we spiritually mature we begin to realize that every moment offers another opportunity to pray. Ask a hundred people on the street when they pray or, better yet, why they pray, and you'll get a hundred different answers.

Most people who pray will affirm that they do it because it is how they connect, communicate and commune with God.

Oftentimes our prayers have a request attached to them, but sometimes our prayers are simply our way of having an intimate relationship with the Divine, deepening that sense of connection and oneness with something larger than ourselves.

I think we all find comfort in that. Perhaps as we evolve in our relationship with God our intentions and the content of our prayers do as well.

What I find most amazing about prayer is that it is the one thing that virtually all religions and cultures have in common.

While the words, content and intentions may vary greatly, the unifying factor is that we all seek a relationship with that Infinite Presence, whether we call it God, Atman, Brahman, Allah, Baha'u'llah, The Christ, The Buddha Nature, Wakan Tanka, The Creator, The Great Maker, Jehovah, Elohim, Yahweh, The Father, The Great Spirit, The Beloved, He, She or It.

Prayer is the one thing that ties us together as a human race. When we are able to look past the particular words and methodology we use in our prayers and consider that millions of individuals around the planet are doing the same thing at the very same time, our souls meet together in the heart of the Divine.

Perhaps, as we deepen our awareness that this is happening, we shall experience that peace which passes all understanding, allowing it to spill out into our world.

Perhaps that is the real power and purpose in prayer.

If you resonate with what I am sharing with you today and would like a jump-start on the process, I have a delightful surprise for you.

My dear friend Lisa Cameron, who is a web designer and graphic artist (as well as the webmaster at OneSpirit), has created an amazing video titled "Pray Always."

It is put to the penetrating music of Daniel Nahmod, which, in and of itself, will open your heart. The music, combined with Lisa's video, will align you with the awesome power of prayer.

Lisa is making this video a gift to the world. After you view it I know you will want to forward the link to everyone you know.

This is a wonderful opportunity to start an Internet ripple with something that will make a difference.

You can view it right now at www.whisperingstars.com/ pray_always.wmv.

The video is high resolution and may take a few minutes to download, but trust me, it is worth the wait. If you want to connect with Lisa directly, you can reach her through her website, www.whisperingstars.com.

When we say "pray always," does this mean you should stop whatever you are doing and close your eyes? Maybe so, maybe not.

If you really consider prayer as an intentional effort to be at one with the Divine, every thought you have can be a prayer.

It sort of depends on what your moment-to-moment thoughts are. But if it brings you closer to Presence, it is a prayer.

As my friend Daniel Nahmod sings, "Right here, right now, right where I am, I pray."

Can I get an "Amen"?

Dennis Merritt Jones is the spiritual director for OneSpirit Center for Conscious Living in Simi Valley. His website is www.OneSpirit.org.