Ruth: Chapter 4 Mental Prayer

When we are walking humbly with our God we want to communicate intimately with Him.  This chapter shows us the second step that usually occurs in prayer.... that is Mental Prayer. There is a bit more intimacy described here in this chapter.  The author here notes that he began his meditation periods by "thinking about Jesus in the gospels...."  This reminded me of a conversation I recently had with my pastor.  We were talking about prayer and he suggested I meditate on the times when Jesus was alone.  He was alone in the garden, when he was tempted, on a boat, etc.  Sometimes I want to talk to Jesus in those settings and other times just be with Him trying to experience what He must have experienced.  

In my experience of both formal prayer and mental prayer both bring me to desire a deeper union with Jesus...a thirsting for a water that really quenches the thirst. Both help me to know of the love of Jesus and Mary and my call to respond to that love. Page 27 brings that out when it says, "In formal prayer, when we focus on the words of the prayer with our minds, the heart is then moved to love God with the sentiments contained in those words." p. 28 " " our reflections stir up the vital sentiments of the heart so needed for loving and serving the Lord faithfully."  And as it says on p. 29 this is all to lead to a deeper knowledge and more intense mutual love. 

So I think formal prayer and mental prayer are like taking baby steps toward the Lord in the hopes of being caught by arms that are reaching out in love to catch us. We are reaching out to God and He is always there, even when we are not conscience of it, He is reaching out to embrace us into the depths of His love.