Sometimes when I pray,
I utter the words,
but I do not feel or think them.
Sometimes when I pray,
I utter the words,
thinking about what I say,
but not feeling.
Sometimes when I pray,
I utter the words,
and I both think and feel
what I say.
An act of will
cannot make me feel,
nor stop my mind from wandering.
An act of will can only
make me utter.
So I shall utter the words,
and let the Spirit do the rest,
guiding my mind and heart
as He will.
* Robert Van de Weyer, from Celtic Daily Prayer Book Two: Farther Up and Farther In, 2015