I recently realized that if my prayer-life was to evolve, take on some depth, 
or at least more depth than it generally has, then I needed to come up with one word prayers. I observed that I’m either too lazy or too secular or to ADD to spend much time in prayer. Sorry. That’s just the way it is. (What may be a surprise to many of my cowboy buddies, I do spend a little time in prayer, most every day, at the end or at the beginning, or both… but it’s not much, I hereby confess.)
I had previously come up with what I thought was a pretty good start on a new prayer life: the five second, “Start-Anywhere Prayer” (previously named, “The Zoom-Love Prayer.”) I even wrote a book about it, (The Smoker’s Prayer: The Spiritual Healing of Tobacco Addiction with or without Chantix, Nicotine Patches, Hypnosis, Jail Time or Duct Tape ) to help smokers experience the wider picture of their habit.
I figured that when it comes to prayer, surely, I should be able to manage 5 measly seconds off and on during the day. And I could. The “start anywhere prayer” did help. I do still sometimes use the 5-second “start- anywhere” prayer. I find it to be a useful little ditty. But I also observe that I can go days and days without using it. It never did become a habit, which is what I was secretly hoping to develop.
I confess I want to get into the habit of praying, just because I’m in what the Hindus call the sannyasa season of my life, where I can spend time tuning and listening and simply trying to figure out What Is Going On (WIGO) from quarks to quasars. As Tevye in The Fiddler on the Roof sang, “If I were a rich man… I’d have the time that I lack/To sit in the synagogue and pray,/And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall/And I’d discuss the learned books with the holy men/Seven hours every day/ That would be the sweetest thing of all.”
Obviously, studying scripture leads us to studying prayer
Even though I’ve spent a lifetime musing such things, I still find myself in the “newbie” category. When it comes to prayer, I have to be very careful or I find myself silently praying, say, for a six of clubs when I’m playing poker with my buds, trying to fill an inside straight. ($1.75 is on the line!) That’s not, I recognize, a very evolved way of praying. I yearn for a little more depth, a little more breadth, a little more height in my prayer life. It’s not a constant or burning yearning, but I admit it’s there.
So I recently admitted that maybe even five seconds was asking too much. What I, as newbie needed was a one word prayer. Or maybe a bunch of one word prayers, since I do have the common Adult ADD affliction.
Following this line of thought, I just recently stumbled onto a very fun, refreshing, even inspiring and generous new one word prayer. That prayer word is “Welcome.” When used in a particular (prayerful) manner, “welcome” can function as a powerful, useful, uplifting prayer.
For example, a day or two ago I was taking an evening walk along the bike trail next to the river not far from our home. Using the one word “welcome,” time and time again, I found I could adopt a welcoming attitude to whatever was coming into my thoughts, feelings or my sensory perceptions. I didn’t have to think too much about this person walking the path coming my way or that duck paddling in the stream or that fresh breeze tickling my cheek. I could just welcome it all, whatever was happening, with that one word prayer. “Welcome” seems to be an easy beginners prayer, a newbie’s first step in prayer, in learning to love. And that, after all, from all reports, is the motivation and purpose for learning to pray better: learning to love better.
I found that simply resorting to a quiet, inner, “welcome” to whatever arose, within or without, helped me suspend judgement. And judgement seems to be a first step away from love.. a step, I confess, I take all too often. Judgment tends to separation. “Welcome” tends to receiving.
On my evening walk, again, because my mind is so promiscuous, I also threw in a couple of other one word prayers. (Having a promiscuous mind means it is not yet ready to do a mono-prayer. . . I’m not a monogamous pray-er. ) So I occasionally threw in “peace” or “stillness” or “silence” or om, or thanks. But I did find, at least on that walk, that the one word “welcome” prayer establishes a deeper relationship, a deeper acceptance of what is going on (WIGO) within and without.
This one word prayer experiment is still fairly new, and I’d appreciate and enjoy any company along the path. Any feedback or suggestions. Again, you’re welcome to leave a comment, if so moved. Even a one word comment!
Peace…
