PRAYER AS AN ELEVATOR—LIFTING

Clare G. Turner

When I think of prayer, I think of being lifted up. One of my most memorable moments occurred while I was praying for healing during a time of a lot of struggle. I was already learning that prayer involves allowing my point of view to be lifted up, which, in turn, enables me to see things differently. It's the mental equivalent of riding up on a glass elevator. As the elevator rises, it reveals an expanded view of the scene below, an overview of the surrounding area. In a similar way, prayer can lift thought above limited self-perceptions and provide new, expanded views of oneself. But you have to enter the elevator and push a button. This may mean thinking deeply about a message from the Bible or other inspired writings. Or it may begin with saying a familiar prayer. However prayer begins, though, I've found that it often involves a conscious yielding—to let it lift me.

Yielding is being willing instead of willful.

Yielding is tricky to describe. It can sound like submissiveness or being taken advantage of. But in this case, it's being willing instead of willful. It's being ready for a new view of yourself. It's letting the elevator lift you.

During this experience, I was wanting so much to feel God's presence, especially God's love. I asked myself, "What will it feel like? If God is the source of all love, feeling this love must be something pretty special. Is it warmth? Is it comfort? How will I recognize it?"

At one point I got as quiet as I could, ready to let myself feel God loving me. I was sincerely willing and open. This quieting of my thought resulted in a profound stillness. I began to feel God's love in a tangible way. It was a feeling of being gently held. It felt the way I imagine being in a womb would feel—warm, nurtured, safe. This womb of prayer gave birth to a fresh view of myself as free and unafraid. This was a big step of progress, and I felt a new kind of peace, which alleviated the struggling I'd been going through and enabled me to move forward freely.

Clare G. Turner
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

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