By definition, prayer is “a devout petition to God or an act of worship…as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession” (Dictionary.com). By most prayer is considered an act of communication between mortals and some higher power, oftentimes God.
However, I would argue that prayer does not necessarily mean solely attempting to implore higher powers, but the consistent feeling of hope and devotion a person can have within our hearts – a hope for success, safety, guidance, knowledge, or really anything else.
Different cultures pray in unique ways and to a number of different beings. To the
ancient Greeks and Egyptians, prayer was a strict, patterned ceremony to a number of deities. The Mayan prayer of Seven Directions requires one to face specific directions while saying each part of the prayer, in order to draw in positive energies. Others have prayer only at certain times of day or at routine times, such as before meals. Ancient Aztec cultures had two types of prayer: one of thankfulness and one of supplication. There is also the Salah, an obligatory ritual prayer performed by Muslim peoples that is measured by the movement of the sun; repetition of established actions and words are done five times a day, and if a prayer is skipped it must be done later. These practices have been passed on through generations in order to preserve the knowledge of one’s culture.
I could be wrong here – but to be honest, I doubt it – but I’m pretty positive every student has had some kind of prayer in their hearts, whether it was formulated into words
or just a glimmer of hope and supplication in their minds, as they pursue higher levels of learning and education. For many, it’s a reliable source of comfort. If we have done all we can do to perform to the best of our ability, many of us [students] hold to the hope that God will do what we cannot. He will take us that extra few inches towards a successful assignment or test if we only do the best we can.
Prayer has been used in times of joy and sorrow throughout history. People gather to pray together often. Some of my most spiritual memories come from cast prayers done right before a theatre performance: friends of differing upbringings and backgrounds come together to pray to one, simple God. During historical calamities such as Hurricane Katrina or 9/11, prayer was a unifying point that brought the people together. The ancient practice of prayer is a strength that is drawn upon daily, by millions of people across the globe - and it is the ultimate tool of seeking knowledge.
I like how you meshed the mantic and the mother tongue. They both really are the "material" of our lives!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder how much the father tongue (sophisticated language) has changed the nature of prayer throughout history. I mean, who's to say that we can't talk to our Father in the mother tongue? Does there have to be a "pattern" in our prayer? As you cited, some would argue that you most certainly DO need a patterned prayer (The Lord's Prayer, Greek and Egyptian prayers, Mayan prayer of the Seven Directions). As a church, we believe that a prayer is supposed to be just a simple communication with God, not a formal practice.
So the question really is: Is prayer a sophic or mantic process? Is it best done in mother tongue? or father tongue?
It is interesting to see the way that prayer engulfs nearly all and yet it is so different in varying cultures. I remember learning of Muslims and their form of prayer in a Humanities class and it struck me as significant that although their prayer differs, it remains to unify many religions because of its basic idea.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if there always is some type of "pattern" in our prayer, whether it be a repeated prayer or one from the heart. Even in our religion, we usually always thank God for what we have been given and follow up with help we need because of our shortcomings. In that case, it seems to combine the mother and the father tongue into one prayer from the formers structure and the latters emotion.
@Ted: I think prayer is, in its purest form, the third language. Like song or poetry, it can come close to communicating 'pure intelligence.'
ReplyDeleteThen again, also like either one, perhaps some expressions are better suited to one tongue than the other. I know that when I'm praying in the testing center, I'm at once seeking a nurturing, helping hand and seeking a degree of technical insight into the work at hand.
Also, Nephi received revelation on how to construct a ship. While a practical and material concern, often communicated master to apprentice, it was also an engineering and 'provider' task. Books are written on naval engineering, while shipwrights hone their skills in the shipyard. Which is it? Paternal, maternal, sophic, mantic?
Yes.