Prayer lies at the heart of the church and our lives.

Every person has his or her unique way of praying: there are no rights and wrongs.  But to those who are still searching for a (new) way that suits them, or in those moments when inspiration has run dry and God’s voice and presence seem to have faded, the diocese has put together a prayer pack which will hopefully offer some guidance; a gentle nudge in the right direction.  

There are currently twelve different ways of praying in the pack, each one explained in a single leaflet that outlines the simple steps to help people get underway.  The pack also includes a ‘Review of prayer’ leaflet that aims to encourage further spiritual growth through reflection after the prayer experience.   

The leaflets currently available are:

• Bringing your concerns into prayer
• Centering prayer
• God in my day – Review
• Journaling
• Listening to God in silence and stillness
• Multi-sensory prayer – using images and symbols
• Multi-sensory prayer – using your own creativity
• Praying with Icons
• Praying with music
• Praying with the Bible – Lectio Divina
• Praying with the Bible – using your imagination
• Praying with the five senses
• Review of prayer                                       

We are fully aware that prayer can in fact not be categorised quite as easily as this selection may suggest, and that our list is not exhaustive. There are indeed so many different ways of praying.  Nor is it necessary that you use all of these leaflets all at the same time: your pack can be ‘personalised’, tailored to your own needs, and/or the needs of a group you lead.

If your parish is interested in using the prayer pack we will encourage you to choose the leaflets you feel are most appropriate for your church community and plan a day or an evening (1 ½ hour) to introduce each way of praying:  a 30-minute introduction to the way of praying; 30 minutes practice and 30 minutes sharing in small groups. The sharing is optional and it is up to you to decide if it would be appropriate for your group.

To get more information about the pack and how to arrange for it to take place in your church community, please contact Susanne Carlsson.

Key Contacts