5 Reasons to give Pray-As-You-Go a chance

www.pray-as-you-go.org

You’re busy. I’m busy. If only there were more hours in a day right? There are things that just have to happen in a day that cannot be avoided. Often it feels like the daily rhythm is so saturated that the idea of adding one more thing may just make you want to throw up your hands and say, “Enough! “.

A regular rhythm of daily prayer/meditation/reflection/quiet time is one thing that has always been encouraged for those who consider themselves on a faith journey. Well thanks to technology, this just got a whole lot easier AND more efficient.

Pray-as-you-go is an online daily meditation program that can be downloaded to your phone, iPod, laptop, etc. It is usually a 12 min guided reflection on a piece of scripture that you can listen to when you are running, walking, driving, commuting, road-tripping and so on.

Here are some reasons to give it a chance:

1. Personal prayer/meditation time has never been more simple than this.

No books required. No quiet space required. It is convenient. It takes 20 min. to drive from my house to where I work most days. That is more than enough time to plug in a Pray-as-you-go and meditate my way to work. Is there a time in your day where you know you will be driving alone? Waiting for the kids after school? Commuting? Alone with a laptop? At Starbucks waiting to meet a friend? It could be the perfect time to engage a simple rhythm of prayer.

2. You will feel calmer and more peaceful afterward.

The guided meditations are designed to walk you through a passage with God. Questions are asked that help you reflect on God’s promises and his love. I have found that after I have listened to a daily meditation I almost always feel more at peace than before.

3. You will be exposed to music you would otherwise never hear.

The meditations begin with a 2 min piece of music designed to help you calm down and focus. They are not meant to get your blood pumping. It will most likely be music you would not choose to listen to (or download from iTunes for that matter). It is not meant to be. The music selections are meant to help you focus and center yourself and it often takes music that you have no previous experience with to do that. Often the selections are from choirs from South Africa, French Monks, or Celtic folk singers. They act as centering agents to still your heart and mind. By the time the meditation starts, you are in a place that is ready to hear clearly.

4. You will meet God at some point in the meditation if you are open.

I have been using Pray-as-you-go for a few years now. Some days I feel like I have come face to face with God himself. Some days I come away with a lot to think about. Some days I come away with a blind spot exposed. Some days I am simply left with a strong sense of God’s peace. In every case, I feel like I have encountered the living God and am better for it.

5. The daily meditations are not cumulative throughout the year.

Each day is not numbered. There is no connection between one day’s devotion and the next. There is no need to feel guilty if you miss one… or two… or a whole week. There is no “catching up” with missed meditations unless you really want to.

Give it a try with an open mind.

www.pray-as-you-go.org