Prayer as the Posture of the Decentered Self
Merold Westphal explains how there are five elements to prayer. Those elements being: praise, thanksgiving (not the holiday), confession, petition, and intercession. The petition is for the self and the intercession is for others. Westphal believes that the common idea that prayer is asking and recieving is too over simplified and goes on to explain her views on the matter.
Westphal, while researching prayer, quickly realizes she doesnt know the least about prayer. In her research, she finds that prayer is deep. This concept is fairly common of most people who pray. However, she goes on to say that prayer is not just deep, it is quite possibly the deepest decentering of the self there is. It is deep enough to begin dismantling and/or decontructing that burning preoccupation with the self.. Westphal believes that that idea that prayer is "lord give me, lord help me" is the wrong way to go about prayer. Instead, prayer should be thankful. People should give more thanks in their prayers.
Later on, Westphal explains how prayer is the task of an entire lifetime. Its not a one time thing. One must be devoted and continually pray if they would like to see the change they want. She ends with the idea that prayer has many postures. The postures of the decentered self, the posture of the soul, and the fundamental project of the self.
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