Prayer Bequest - Teresa Of Avila

1516–82

It was a turbulent time: politics and theology clamored and collided across Europe. The sixteenth century saw an explosion of religious reform, but it was also an era in which princes and prelates on all sides scrambled to consolidate power. In the midst of this, a Spanish nun named Teresa found peace in prayer, and ever since, her writings on the subject have been a gift to Christians of all persuasions.

“Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends,” she wrote. “It means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Her approach sounds quite modern, even simple. It’s not burdened with pious forms. Teresa cut to the heart of what prayer really is.

That’s not to say she took it casually. In fact, she scolded others in her convent for caring too much about appearances and human friendships and not devoting themselves to prayer. She applied these same criticisms to herself. One of the great features of her writing is her honesty about her own struggles. “I couldn’t wait for the hour of prayer to be over,” she admitted at one point. “I would have gladly gone through any penance to get out of the practice of prayer.” Distraction was a problem for her. She compared her intellect to a raving madman.

Despite these “interior battles,” Teresa provided us with a roadmap for our own prayer journeys. It starts with mental prayer: a withdrawal from worldly concerns and a humble focus on Christ. Then there’s the “prayer of quiet,” which focuses on the Lord even more exclusively. She also described heightened states of “union” and “rapture,” unusual experiences of God’s presence and power. But it starts with that “close sharing between friends.”

How’s your prayer life? If you spend more time on Facebook than on your knees, Teresa might challenge you to consider who your best friend really is. If Jesus is special to you, then why not spend some intentional face time with him—not just squeezing prayers in between the “important” events of your life, but clearing away the distractions and focusing on him for an hour or so?

Never stop praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:17