Reasons not to pray: 5

Reason 5: loss of control. Prayer requires me to give myself into the hands of the Other, but I'd much rather be self-determining.

Richard Rohr says that there are five difficult messages we need to learn:

1. Life is hard.
2. You are going to die.
3. You are not that important.
4. You are not in control.
5. Your life is not about you.

Do I dare to give up this much sense of self and agency?

Of course, there is the potential for great comfort and relief in this: I can relax my grip on what I (fondly, but mistakenly) think of as 'my' life.

... it does not really matter what we understand about ourselves or our context so long as we put ourselves in God's hands. ... God coming to us where we are; we surrendering in total trust from where we are . . . it is simple enough. Ruth Burrows: Guidelines for Mystical Prayer, p.44

What God is waiting for is not a right conclusion about a matter but our suppleness in falling into his hands for him to work in us. John Climacus (579-649)

Previously in series: Reasons not to pray: 4.