When I was in New York City recently to celebrate my nephew’s wedding, I made my way to Central Park and began the familiar stroll to my favorite spots.  Invariably, I ended up at Gapstow Bridge over The Pond.  No matter where I am in the park, the pull to The Pond is like ‘deep calling out to deep.’  There is something in my soul that longs to sit and be and pray in this tranquil place.

I have several prayer places in Central Park.  If I’m not at Gapstow Bridge, I am likely at Cop Cot, a wooden gazebo on the crest of a hill, or on a bench across from Bethesda Fountain watching the spray of the water hit the lilly pads below.  

When I was in college, my roommate had a kneeling bench for prayer in our dining room.  She found it at a thrift store.  It felt like a bit much to me.  Still, I’ll always remember her telling me that you can pray anywhere, but you’re more likely to pray, and pray consistently, if you have a particular place to go.

I think there’s a lot of truth to that.  I can pray anywhere, but when I return to the same place again and again, it’s like my spirit picks up in prayer right where I left off.  A muscle memory, of sorts.

These days that is mostly in a comfortable chair in my living room where I sit with my coffee in the stillness of the morning before the sun comes up.

Where do you go to pray?  A favorite chair?  Your back porch?  Out on the beach?

As we journey through these 40 Days of Prayer for our Pastor Search Committee, our next pastor, and the next chapter of ministry for First Baptist Church, I encourage you to find a prayer place, if you don’t have one already.  Go there consistently to pray over these next few weeks.  Let the muscles of your soul grow strong and familiar.  Create space for deep to call out to deep, and let’s listen together to what God has to say to us.

Grace & Peace

BY: Jayne Davis, Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation