To Whom Do You Pray?

Some people may answer the question easily: “I pray to God,” or “I pray to the Goddess,” or “I pray to the sacred spirit.” But for many people, the question of whom they are praying to will continue to arise throughout the years—even as they are actively practicing prayer and feeling its positive impact on their lives.

The paradox is that prayer may enrich our spiritual lives not by bringing us more certainty about who we are praying to—but by opening us to deeper awe and mystery. Rev. Thomas Mikelson, a close friend and mentor of mine, helped me see this.

In his sermon, “Sacred Presence,” Mikelson recounts being asked, “When you pray, to whom are you praying?”
He writes:

“When I pray, I’m not talking to myself. I’m not talking to the empty air. I’m talking ‘to’ that fathomless mystery, that sacred presence, of which we are all a part. I hope the mystery never stops being a mystery; that’s not the point. Prayer is not a success if the sacred presence becomes less of a mystery. It is a success [if] it remains a mystery, or even becomes more of a mystery. I don’t begin to understand that mystery, but I know that my life only makes sense to me when I try to open myself in its presence, when I seek to listen to it, when I speak to it from my heart and try to understand how my life is related to it.”

As we set out praying for the first time, or rejuvenating our prayer life once again, we can use this guidance. Mikelson’s words encourage us to focus on the process of prayer: opening ourselves to the sacred, listening to the world around us, speaking the truth from our hearts, and seeking insight into our lives.