“Prayer is
a logos or speech that is not susceptible to truth or falsity” (Prayer p.88).
This chapter in the book has shown me that prayer isn’t one thing by itself.
Prayer contains many elements, one in particular being attention. Attention is
important because without the proper view on your surroundings, you will not be
able to correctly take into account what you’re praying for. Knowledge of your
surroundings can also help you clear your conscience and allow you to have a
just, humble, and compassionate regard for others. The main idea involving
prayer and attention is you must eliminate all thoughts of ‘I.’ All those
prayers you made as a child, wishing for stuff, don’t actually qualify as
prayers, because they were centered around yourself. You must release all
thoughts of selfishness and open yourself to the world. Let in the prayers of
many, listen to them and see what you can do to contribute to the pool of
prayers. “Simone Weil insists that without the discipline and the waiting of
attention we close ourselves off from the truth and grace of the world, and consequently
run the risk of embracing a counterfeit world” (Prayer p.89). Weil is correct
when she says that without attention we would be taking on a completely new and
fake world. It takes discipline to see the world for what it really is. It is
not all nice and easy like it may seem to you. Once you learn to see the truth
in everything and not focus on ‘I’ you will truly understand the meaning of
prayer and how to carry a prayer correctly.
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