Analysis of Pray Without Ceasing by Patrick Laude - Book Report/Review Example

Theology: Review on Book Pray Without Ceasing Edited By Patrick Laude        Why do people pray? When is the right time to pray? How frequent should one pray? Are there requirements in praying? These are among the most frequently asked questions that people have about prayer.        There may be countless religions in the whole world but one thing is for sure, the believers’ have a common activity and that is praying.  Interestingly, Laude said in the first line of his introduction that all religious worlds recognize that nothing is more important than prayer (vii).  It is further said that, “All religions pronounce the name of God in their particular language” (Weil qtd. in Laude 206). Truly, prayer is the most significant medium that one can use to communicate with a Supreme Being that may be called differently by various religious groups.  But is there such thing as the best or most effective style in praying?  Some people are confused about which religion they should turn to that will draw them closer to the truth about life. Hence, they are also confused about the truth in praying. No matter what religion it is however, the fact that human beings have been made unique could just provide the answer to the question about which style in praying is the best. Needless to say, the individual style is the most appropriate style. Everyone has his own personality, and the One above expects a different style of prayer from each of His masterpiece.        In particular, the book, Pray Without Ceasing edited by Laude emphasizes the true importance of praying. It was not pointed out which religion is the best when it comes to praying. In the first part of his book, he narrated instead that the true purpose of a human being is to know, love and serve God (vii). Praying therefore is not about impressing God. It is about communicating with a Divine power.        Communication with God may be different though from a simple communication with a friend, a relative, or a family member. With God, everything is transparent and seen that one can easily pour his or her heart out without getting afraid about getting censored.   Praying is oftentimes driven by the emotions as according to Laude, the deepest and truest knowledge dwells in the heart of a human being (vii).  Every desire, lust, joy, frustration, weeping, and even hatred, are expressed to God through prayers. Oftentimes, the most genuine prayer is seen from a wounded heart or an overwhelmed spirit.        Laude states that prayer is about knowing God (vii) as it involves a sense of totality that later on grows to an expression of love for God. As a language of love, prayer ultimately leads to service, "a point that is often overlooked by a world engrossed with outer action- because the best way to serve God is to give oneself to him through prayer..." (Laude, vii). As a service, Laude says that prayer is not just intended for the benefit of oneself (vii).  It is also a way of service for one another since God wants each one to pray for each other as a sign of love.  Prayer is not just a gift by and for God but by and for His people as well.        Laude further expressed that, "prayer is both an act of the individual and a universal demand of the human condition" (viii). Every human has this natural urge to communicate with God. Most of the time, when someone has got anybody but God to cling on to, he prays. Often, people say a little prayer when they are caught in a serious situation. One simple scene is when one witnesses an accident on the road, and he would say, “Oh God, please take care of the people who are hurt”. This is a simple prayer from the heart that expresses true love and service to those who were hurt. One important statement made by Laude was that "one of the misleading aspects of the common concept of prayer lies in the assumption that it is necessarily associated with an attitude of request, or even begging” (viii). It is true that many people have a poor definition for prayer. A lot of them will pray only during crucial times, like when they are trapped in a very serious dilemma. They pray to ask for anything and everything, as if God is a genie. Wishes and dreams are all listed in their prayers. Sadly, this can disappoint God. Most people don’t know that God has to be treated as God and not a wizard who does tricks. God knows what is best for everyone, so there is no need to dictate to Him what to do. He is an all-knowing and omniscient God.        Most would ask then, if God knows everything, then what is the use of praying and talking to Him? This will be answered by God’s longing for fellowship. God wants a family and all His creation is invited to be part of the family that He wants to have. However, this goes naturally and only God knows when is the right time to call a human being to the privilege of being part of His family. Laude said, "... no external constraint should weigh on the way we may find ourselves or be with God" (ix).        Praying is truly a way to get closer to God and be part of His family. It is a powerful tool that convinces God to empower a human being with the gifts in anointing and healing. Laude said that "The way of the invocation is understood as being so powerful, and its practice places so much emphasis on the divine Presence and Grace, that is uncommon to extend its prerogatives and effects to their ultimate consequences" (xiv).        To get closer and receive the power from God, what are the requirements? Are there such things as pre-requisites for praying? According to the book, Muslims pray and make sure that “There should be no movement of the body” (Valiuddin qtd. in Laude 137). This sacred activity would not be as prevalent as it is if not because of its effect to the worshippers. Muslims find ease in doing the ritual in their unique act of praying and worshipping. They said that every prayer or what they call dhakir will require patience and perseverance. God wants us to learn these two things and indeed, the Muslims have got a good supply of these. Their act of praying is indeed indispensable, making them well-disciplined in their lives.        In addition to the praying acts of Muslims, their faith is likewise manifested by their belief that they need to walk in step with God. They have what is called "recollecting God while walking" (Valiuddin qtd. Laude 138). This is walking with a medium pace and saying Allah, Allah" at every step and then, when walking fast, “illa Allah” should be uttered (Valiuddin qtd. in Laude 138). This just means that Muslims give importance to being reminded that they should not be lead astray from Gods path.        With the different yet effective ways of praying by the Muslims, some would still question their faith. Some would say that God does not say that there is a need to do those movements and steps. There might be some comments that all these things are not biblical at all. Nonetheless, no matter what people say, the most important comment that should be heard is the one coming from the all-knowing God. "The duty, then, for all who believe in God and the Last day, is to look no further than these texts, and to act in accordance with their commands by choosing their soul what God chooses for it" (Weil qtd. in Laude 204). God is the One who has the capacity to create and destroy, to approve and disapprove. He has all the right to judge.        On the other hand, praying is a duty as well (Weil qtd. in Laude 205). Through prayer, the whole testimony of faith is delivered not just in simple words but with all ones might and heart. This is a privilege given to human beings so as to worship and recognize God as the almighty God. Apparently, a prayer is also an opportunity to establish deep relationship with God. With all its broad yet amazing facts, prayer is one special gift from God. It is considered as the medium for connecting to God, and must be used responsibly. Prayers must not be used to preach as there is another way to do it. It is a sacred tool to communicate with God not with other people. God, with all His power, can pass the message to others if He wants to. There are many prayers proving that God is sending out message from one person to another.  "A simple example is saying Glory be to God to inform the leader in prayer if a mistake, or to inform him of whatever necessity demands” (Weil qtd. in Laude 205). Many times, people say a simple prayer out loud like “May God bless you”. This is a prayer that brings inspiration to other people. Through it, God sends out His message of love.        Meanwhile, Weil set an example in the book saying, "Consider- may God have mercy on you!- how they used forms of invocation to awaken one another from sleep” (qtd. in Laude 204). Indeed, some people pray like this. However, it is important to know that God is listening to the true motivation and intention of one’s heart. If such prayer is said out of hatred, then the heart filled with anger will manifest anger in the mouth. This will lead to a prayer that does not show love but curse.  All people have the right to enjoy the privilege of knowing, loving, and serving God through prayer. “Every religious practice, every rite, all liturgy is a form of the recitation of the name of the Lord and in principle should have a real virtue, the virtue of saving whoever devotes himself to performing it with desire” (Weil qtd. in Laude 206). It is not about the religion but about the relationship with God.  All in all, the book, Pray Without Ceasing, is just a reminder that all people must have a healthy prayer life. Everybody should not just pray when he or she is in need. God wants the fellowship every single minute. The free gift is the greatest privilege of all and this is the freedom to talk to Him. Every moment should therefore be treasured. Works cited Laude, Patrick, Ed. Pray Without Ceasing: The Way of the Invocation in World Religions. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom, Inc, 2006. Read More