Prayer is an important spiritual practice for many people. There are various ways people pray and for different reasons. Some chant, some sing, some dance; some bow their heads, some pray with prayer beads or in front of a flickering flame; and still others pray through food, time outdoors, or in the company of friends and family.

To acknowledge National Day of Prayer, we invited some L’Arche members to share what prayer means to them and why it’s important. Read what they had to share below.

“Prayer means so many things! Sipping a raindrop off a leaf. Heaving a rock into the lake. Taking a breath. Squeezing a hand. Enjoying the swing of my foot through to another step. Feeling the vibration of my own voice. Listening to a friend or the wind or the old wisdom inside. Pausing together in the place of unknowing.

Prayer connects me to a loving source. This connection gives me courage to keep moving forward.”

Mary Ruppert, L’Arche Alumni

“Prayer is the intentional act of connection to the spiritual energy that is accessible to any person who commits their mind to that which can’t be seen. Prayer is intertwined with the faith that more than human effort is involved in the sequence of events and consequences.

Prayer is essential for the experience of hope, which is arguably the most important feeling in the world. This communication with the divine combined with stillness of my always hustling mind is a tool I regularly visit to regulate my constantly strained nervous system and allows me to release my grasping attempts at control.”

Amanda Tindall, L’Arche North Carolina

“It means go to church. And also have family and pray.”

“Snooze.”

“Pray for mom and dad.”

Core Members of L’Arche Portland

“As a child, prayer spoke most closely to my nightly ritual of personal reflection and connection with God. While lying in my room nearly asleep, private thoughts, hopes, and wishes would surface as part of an ongoing conversation I returned to each evening before bed.

As an adult, praying happens throughout the day and serves as a space of gratitude and appreciation for the world and life around me. I catch myself praying while warm water runs over my hands as I wash the dishes, as my eyes land on something visually captivating in nature, and as I hear the giggles of my children in the room beside mine. Prayer sounds like whispers of thanks, recognition, or awe, helping me connect and be present to small, everyday moments. Prayer helps me look beyond myself while appreciating the world I cultivate within and around me. It is vital to who I am today and who I hope to become tomorrow.”

Stasya Erickson, L’Arche USA

“Prayer is a conversation with God whether it is a plea for help, an ask of guidance, an ask of healing for a friend, a family member or a stranger or just to converse. God is always with us and hearing us, he will never leave us, we are products of his love. In my opinion, prayer does not necessarily mean closing your eyes. Years ago, I watched this touching story about a kid with cancer (which is based on a true story) who wanted to write letters to God which then inspired a lot of people around him like his mom, brother and even the mail man. After his passing, other kids with cancer started writing letters to God and put them in a mailbox at the hospital specifically designed for God’s letters. After watching the movie, I got inspired to write letters. I even do that now from time to time. It is easier and comfortable to me as if writing to a friend.”

Kyla Ponciano, L’Arche USA

“Prayer is how we develop and deepen a relationship with God.

Prayer centers us in our faith to provide a foundation for living out God’s love in the world.”

Brian Ballard, L’Arche USA

“Prayer means having a conversation with God – it can be a conversation like grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend and chatting with God about your life, or it can be communicating with God through art, or music, or stimming, or sign language or any other want to have a conversation. It’s just communicating with the loving, powerful, and creative presence of the divine.

Prayer is important to me because it shapes my understanding of myself, God, and the world. Much like having a conversation with someone else, I learn more about who God is when I pray. I am also a verbal processor so when I pray in that way, I learn more about myself and who I am to God, and more about the world that I am talking with God about. From a Christian perspective, Jesus came to be with us, and that shows us that God wants to connect with us, so prayer is our piece of that connection. But prayer is important for everyone because it is a connection with the spiritual part of themselves and the world and makes space for the love, support, and creativity of the divine.”

Tatum Tricarico, L’Arche Alumni

“For me, prayer is two things. First, prayer is the opportunity to name my needs, gratitudes and hopes, and to hear the needs, gratitudes and hopes of others in my faith circles. Not with the expectation that everything I think I need will be granted, like a wish from a genie in a bottle. And not with the expectation that some truth will be revealed specifically to me. That relates to the second thing that prayer means to me, which is to return as often as I can to an open and listening posture – to myself, to the beauty of creation, and to other humans on this planet. Those are the ways I find prayer is most often answered for me.

Prayer helps me remember that the universe is big. It helps me keep perspective on my concerns and understand my life in the context of a bigger picture. Prayer keeps me honest and helps me remember that it’s not all up to me.”

Laura Giddings, L’Arche USA

“Prayer for me means to pray to god about what you are thankful for like friends, neighbors, family. It is also for asking for help.

It is important to pray when you need help or to pray for others when they need help.”

Anders, L’Arche Chicago

“Moments of prayer are moments that require me to pause and be present in awe, in gratitude, in sadness, in revolution, in hope… A flowering cactus, mixing together the perfect shade of green paint, sending “just thinking of you” postcards, grieving the tragedies of war, noticing when spaces aren’t accessible, smiling at a stranger who first smiled at my dog, indulging in a fresh croissant, pink clouds at sunrise, listening to a podcast about fighting transphobia, donating to protect trans rights, looking up to a fingernail moon, dancing, holding hands, and many many deep breaths.”

Parker Davis, L’Arche USA

In conclusion, prayer means so many unique and wonderful things to so many people. It connects us to ourselves, the worlds and people arounds us, and something greater.

How do you pray?