1st March 2026
A Pilgrimage of Prayer
The Eucharist for Ash Wednesday invites us into "a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline". Having thought in this column last week about the discipline of fasting, this week, I turn my attention to prayer.
A famous pianist was once asked "Do you still need to practise?" "Every day," answered the pianist. "If I miss one day, I notice. If I miss two days, my closest friends and family notice. And if I miss three days, the world notices." The story reminds me that it doesn't take long for what is (or isn't!) happening in the privacy of my home to spill out into the public places of life. If our life of faith is about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and if prayer is the way to deepen that relationship, if I am not praying, then how can the relationship flourish?
The encouragement for me, is that prayer doesn't have to be a static thing. It's a pilgrimage... a journey. At different times and different stages of life, we might need to find a different rhythm of prayer to sustain me and help me stay in relationship God. Sometimes that prayer will be silent prayer, simply being with and enjoying the presence of the God who loves us. Sometimes my prayer might overflow in creativity - in journalling, art or music. Sometimes, a podcast or app or prayer diary might help focus our prayers. Sometimes, we'll feel called to intercession, at other times to thanksgiving. Sometimes, we need to create time and space to pray alone. At other times, praying with others is encouraging and strengthening. My spiritual director would always encourage to "pray as you can, not as you can't."
Sometimes, however, to grow in a particular discipline, we may need to step out of comfortable habits into something new. Lent offers an opportunity to try out a way of praying that we haven't experienced (or enjoyed?) before. Maybe we could create space, just five minutes a day, for silence before God? Maybe we could spend some time doing something creative as an act of worship and prayer? Maybe we know that we just need to restart the discipline of giving time regularly to praying for our own needs and the needs of others.
There are two opportunities coming up in this coming week to draw near to God in prayer in the company of others. Could you create space this week to come to Lent Prayer Spaces this Saturday or to the World Day of Prayer service on Friday 6th?
Prayer may be a discipline, but the rewards are great. As the Ash Wednesday eucharist continues:
"through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline,
we may grow in grace,
and learn to be your people once again...
[as]... you bring us back to your generous heart."
