Phenomenology of Prayer - Blog #1

Phenomenology of Prayer: Blog #1

Kaitlin Sanata

In the sense of prayer, most of us are like that little boy praying for gelato. We ask for things that are simple, but cant always be given to us in the way that we hoped. The five elements of prayer are as follows: praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition, and intercession. These are all important elements in peoples worship to god. When we pray we are praising God, thanking him for all that he has done for us, we confess our sins, pray for our own well being, and for others. Some people are confused about the difference between praise and thanksgiving, the text states that "to give thanks is to praise God for the good things I have received" (Page 14.) Praying is like having a conversation, people talk to God like he is standing right there with them. When we pray, we release our emotions and rid ourselves of the stress and weight on our shoulders. Praying is a form of kenosis, a way that we can decenter ourselves so that we can think of others and their well being. For many different religions prayer is done differently. In the text the author states a few examples of prayer used in the bible.  One of which being when Samuel prays, "Here i am, for you have called me" and when Mary prays, "Let it be with me according to your word." These are all good examples of prayer used throughout the bible. These examples help Westphal show how people give themselves to God or surrender themselves through prayer. Mary is telling God to show her his word, so that it will be with her, and she can share it with others. Prayer is a big part of religion, Westphal shows in many ways how deep the action of prayer is, according to the five elements.