Spoken prayer is not the same thing as singing prayer.
Singing prayer is the act of communicating with God through words and music.
When we sing our prayers like David did, something happens in the brain that helps us connect to God that is different.
Singing prayer can take us to a new level that holds back the forces of darkness.
And darkness abhors singing prayer.
When your car stalls out one minute before your appointed time to sing…
You know.

Some prayers are too big for words. Empty words, atleast.
Our modern prayer-words are anorexic in the face of pain and agony.
The Mercy Prayer uttered from the depths of the heart becomes pain and prayer together, personified. When pain comes, hard and fast
or agony creeps long and slow …
Lord, have mercy.
The one phrase that begs one God to respond and move: comfort, heal and hold.
Now.
Lord, have mercy…
The one phrase that beckons the merciful, redemptive incarnation

in a moment.

Lord, have mercy…
The one phrase that crosses the barriers of culture. Of nations.
Because there are no barriers in loss. In sickness. In death.
Christ have mercy: with this prayer, we reach up with heart and hands, desperate– not knowing what will, if anything– come down.

Lord have mercy

Christ, have mercy.
We reach up and out, because we have nothing in and of ourselves to absolve.
We open ourselves to gentleness; the only true goodness we know.
We cry out: Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Because there are no other words
to pray
When heaven
must
Come down.

The word glory takes three forms. As a noun, “glory” describes the splendor and majesty of another. Namely, God. When Moses looked upon the face of God, his face reflected God’s glory. His face was shining so bright, the Israelites couldn’t look at him.

The word glory can be an expression; “Glory!” or “Glory be!” The very phrase conjures images of victorian women fluttering fans, squealing in surpise. Or delight.

But how about this. “Glory”–as a verb. The Psalmist calls for worshippers to “Glory in His Holy Name.”

Funny. I never really thought about glory or any act related to it–being attached to me. At all. In fact–I struggle with the concept of me bringing glory to God in worship. He doesn’t really need me to bring him glory. He is all together glorious on his own. I could just sit there, and He is just full of glory. Without me doing anything.

But the Psalmist calls out. A blatant invitation this morning.

I stretch the corners of my mind to take in this idea of me, doing glory prayer, like the psalmist said.
This idea of acting, praying, moving in glory while keeping my eyes fixed on the Most Glorious, who is glorious on His own.

Glory in His Holy Name.

The verb, glory.
“rejoice proudly”.

Glory Prayer.

Many of us get discouraged when we think about the things we could be doing to improve the world around us. The idea of making a difference in the world can seem trite when we are surrounded with abundance and wealth.

Yet there is something we can do…the effects of which we one day will see.
This something affects the world.
This something affects the universe.
When we focus our attention on God in love
When we fix our eyes in adoration for the risen, exalted Christ,

things change in the atmosphere around us.

There is something pure and powerful about the type of prayer we pray when our minds and hearts connect with the true person of God–the Cosmic Christ; void of image, evaluation, and distraction.

In The Cloud of Unknowing, St John of the Cross puts it like this:
“For when you fix your love on Him, forgetting all else, the saints and angels rejoice and hasten to assist you in every way–no corner of the universe is untouched by this exercise of love…”

In pure contemplation, we are one with Christ.
When we join with the person of Christ, the world–
the universe shifts.
The universe–the cosmos.
All because a small prayer we pray–even if it begins as egocentric–
twist and turns.
The prayer twists.

And turns

Away from us
And

Bounces back to

Adore

focused, wholehearted, devoted.

Cosmic.

Now, and then; you are making a difference.

When teaching on prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to be simple. To go to a quiet place. Alone. He reveals a full-bodied, all inclusive, beautiful and succinct prayer guide in Matthew 6.
Here is Eugene Peterson’s contemporary version of the prayer Jesus taught:

Let’s pray…

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best — as above, so below.

You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Matthew 6:9-13 The Message