Spirituality and Prayer

What Is the Difference

Spirituality is living in awareness of the constant Presence of God, and in that awareness one allows God to transform the soul into a reflection of The Divine. Whereas prayer is our relationship with God, it is our touchstone and also our lifeblood for without prayer, the soul will wither and die.

In order for relationships to thrive one has to learn to both listen and speak. So it is with God and the soul. For if our conversation with God subsists on a daily basis of a list of wants, then is that relationship or an effort to control God to suit our selfish needs?

Our spiritual awareness and maturity will define our relationship with God. For if we treat God as if He were there to fulfill all our wants and longings, as if He were our servant and we the masters, then that reveals the immaturity of the person, for God does not live to please us, but that we live to please God. For in the end God does not need us, we His children need Him, we should not love God based on what He can give us, but to love Him for who He is!

What relationship would last the distance if our only conversation was a list of demands and complaints of the demands not met! How could love thrive if the intent of the person is simply to manipulate another to do its will, rather than to simply appreciate and to be grateful for what it has received, without demanding more.

The relationship we have with God is dependent on our quality of prayer; our spiritual health is also measured by this same yardstick, for if prayer is non existent then the spiritual wellbeing of the person will be anorexic. If prayer is based on a grocery list of wants, then our spiritual wellbeing will be stunted by the immaturity of the person and its lack of reverence towards the Majesty of God. If our prayer becomes petulant because our wants have not been met, then we shall never rise above our selfish EGO, and the focus will be on the Self rather than on God.

For prayer is not about gaining, it IS about giving, but in order to give of ourselves, we must become spiritually dependent upon God, and allow Him free access to our souls in order for our spirit to become incorporated into the Divine. Thereby we become living reflections of the Son, whilst maintaining our own uniqueness as God created us to be.

Spiritual awareness, allows us to recognise that God is within us, that He dwells in the soul that loves Him and lives only to please Him by being obedient to His Commandments and the Truths of the Church. Prayer allows us to be strengthened by God and through God to be like God to all we meet. For if one cannot recognise the indwelling Spirit of God within the person, then what spirit rules that heart?

For the spiritually mature and for the soul who cultivates a healthy prayer life, will reflect the image of the Divine and speak of Gods Awesome Majesty and His Good works within the soul of the recipient. Their speech will reflect the burning zeal and reciprocal love of the child towards its Father in Heaven, and give God all honour and Praise for His Glory, whilst paying little heed to themselves. For it is these souls who recognise that God has done great things within them.

Whereas the spiritually immature will never be able to raise its spiritual eyes over and above themselves, therefore their speech will be solely based on themselves and their myopic prayer life will consist on manipulating God to their will and not the reverse. The most observant way to recognise this unhealthy spiritual existence, is when they lack peace of heart irrespective of their circumstances, and when the 'fruits' are not that of sincere love but of a love of self over and above their love or lack thereof for God!

If we long to be close to God, then it would behoove the soul to remember that God is only a prayer away, and if the soul wishes to be transformed into God's likeness, then they too like our Blessed Mother, need to give God their fiat, for our Heavenly Father will not infringe upon our free will!

In the end, in order to live healthy spiritual lives, we need to live in an awareness of God's Presence and through this awareness, we then incorporate prayer into our daily existence, not because we wish to gain, but, in order for us to give and to give till it costs, as did our Lord and Saviour.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.