A Reflection on Chapter 1:

SIMPLE PRAYER
Ryan Tristan O. Digan
October 5, 2018

The book of Richard Foster entitled, “Prayer; Finding the Heart’s True home,” has really

been of great help to me in my struggles as I begin my first semester of journey here in the

seminary. Life as a Seminarian is indeed not easy. We have to adjust to a lot of things. Things that

we are so used to before are no longer the things that we can do right now. Things that we do not

want to do before are the things that we need to face here in the seminary. There are so many

pressures everywhere; reflection papers that need to be submitted, community activities that need

to be attended, academic exercises that need to be done and a lot more. If there is one thing that I

miss to be doing sometimes, that is to sleep at ten or eleven o’clock in the evening or even earlier

than that, because here, we usually sleep at two or three and then we wake up at five in the morning.

However, as my Mom asked me, “did anyone push you to be a Seminarian?” Then I

realized, no there was none. It was my decision because I felt that God is calling me. So I keep on

pushing despite the fact that sometimes I feel so restless and tired. In all these, there is only one

thing that I usually do and that is to sigh… yes, to sigh with my eyes closed then I utter the words,

“haaayyy Lord, when will all this end?”

I never realized that these words are actually a form of prayer already until I read chapter

one of Richard Foster’s book entitled, “Prayer; Finding the Heart’s True home.” Before, I thought

that pray-er should have a clear intention and should be in proper disposition when praying in its

strictest sense. I thought there is a right place for prayer with an altar, candle, bible, and cross and

with all the rituals that could be recited by the pray-er. I thought that one could not pray without

all of these stuffs. However, Richard Foster tells us that “God receives us just as we are and accepts
our prayers just as they are.” Meaning, whatever it is inside our heart, God accept it as it is. I

realized, when I am sighing, it is not simply as sighing. It is actually my way of calling God and

asking help from Him. As simple as that.

Richard Foster tells us that “Simple Prayer involves ordinary people bringing ordinary

concerns to a loving and compassionate Father.” When I am sighing, I am already bringing my

ordinary concerns to God. I realized from the book that in the midst of pressures over workloads,

there is one thing that I can do and should never forget to do and that is, to pray. Does it need to

be thought well? Do I have to go to the chapel, then if I realize that the chapel is far, then I cease

to think about praying? No. I can still pray and I can still connect to my God by praying the simple

prayer. This gives me a lot of comfort and assurances that I am not alone in this journey, that God

is understanding and compassionate, that He does not require me to go somewhere else or to spend

so much time just so that I could pray. The invitation is for me to always remember Him in

whatever I do and wherever I am.

Many people tend to make their work as an excuse for not praying. But they never realize

that their work should not be an excuse to pray because there are so many types of prayer that they

can use and one of those is the Simple Prayer. There are counsels along the way, Richard Foster

encourages us “to let go of trying too hard to pray.” I hope that these people would soon realize

that prayer is very important component of our life, in fact, it is not just a component but it should

be our way of life – even a simple prayer would do because God receives us just as we are and

accepts our prayers just as they are.

The song that I chose for this chapter is “Lead Me Lord” and the lyrics goes like this:

“Lead me Lord, lead me by the hand and make me face the rising sun.

Comfort me through all the pain that life may bring.

 There’s no other hope that I can lean upon, Lead me Lord, all my life.

Walk by me, walk by me across the lonely road of everyday.

Take my arms and let Your hand show me the way.

Show the way to live inside Your love; lead me Lord, lead my all my life.”