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One of the most challenging losses for me during the apex of my faith transition was daily devotion. In Mormonism we called daily prayers and scripture study. I was diligent. It was not out of obedience either. I had watched my dad for years come before his God, like Abraham of old, and I wanted it. My dad (until the past couple years) was the most sanguine man I knew. He was at peace in an inspiring way.
For a while I skipped the ritual as the sea tossed my life ship around, but I missed it. Over the last 5 years I have shifted to various readings, recitations, meditations, etc. I like the routine I have now.
Do you have a routine? Do you sit and watch sunsets, or lay in bed and count the good, do you meditate, ponder or read?
Please share – I’d love to hear.
Personally, I stick to the same outline the LDS church teaches, of scripture and prayer. I don’t know if God hears my prayers or not, but I still pray anyways. It just makes me feel better to speak what’s on my mind, review how the day went, discuss my hopes and dreams, say I’m sorry for the things I regret. If God hears me, great. But even just going through the motions brings me clarity.
As for reading scriptures, I usually read anything I feel is uplifting and inspiring. Sometimes it’s a favorite part of the Book of Mormon; even if I don’t fully believe it, there are still many wonderful passages and good stories. Other times I’ll read the Quran. Sometimes I’ll even break out a little Bhuddist philosophy. There’s a lot of good out there.
I don’t do it now, but I didn’t do it “religiously” before (it just didn’t do much for me and usually fell asleep). I do feel a need and I did buy a meditation book that sits on my stack of books to read.
But I will say more than I did before, I just enjoy being in nature and I can “soak it up” and feel good more than before. I don’t know how much of that is being older vs. post FC.
Good question. I think I purposefully have tried to let go of self-imposing stress and pressures on myself…as if I need to do something daily (prayer, reading) or I’m a bad mormon.
I have tried to be more awake and enjoy today and the moment, and now I feel times when hikes in the mountains or early morning sunrises with a bowl of cereal and the scriptures are good moments to catch when right.
But I am not good at making it
daily, like a routine. The negative side or what I feel I lost is the character building principle of reaching a goal and creating more opportunities to have devotion and haev inspiration come to me in some of those moments.
The positive side is less stress and guilt when I don’t feel like getting up early, but enjoy the sleep in. Then I miss it and get up early to enjoy it as my choice, not my routine.
Perhaps I’m just not a routine person. I like variety. I like driving home different roads instead of the same way each time. I like allowing myself to not do things. I don’t want the temptation of having a story to brag to others about how I do something everyday…but make the sunrise and quiet moments all mine when I choose to have them, instead of proud of myself to make myself do something others will respect.
As usual…I overthink the question.
Simple response would be…no…I don’t have a daily prayer or routine for devotion. But I’m good with my way of doing it frequently enough to benefit me.
I don’t have a routine. Never did unless imposed. I’m with Heber13 on this one — routine is dead ugly to me. It wears me out — I need stimulation that comes from different routines and change. I used to beat myself up over it, but then, like most things, have accepted that it is my nature to like an upredictable schedule, juggling multiple priorities, etcetera.
For spiritual nourishment — for me it’s found in accomplishment. In achieving my goals. That is where my highs come from (good highs). Also, from prevailing in situations that are difficult. Had a situation a while ago where I had a bad boss. Researched how to deal with such a bad boss, and applied the principles. To make a long story short, after getting a bad, undeserved performance review (like other strong performers who had stood up to this boss in the previous year), I did the opposite of what the boss said I should do, and then won awards and cash bonuses. All while applying the principles from the book. The next year I got a really good performance review, was in the paper, heralded by managers from the national to local level for doing the things opposite to the requirements in my performance review. So often you feel trapped in your circumstances; liberating yourself from those circumstances is incredibly spiritual and happiness-inducing for me.
I hope you don’t think I’m bragging — I wanted to share the kinds of things that bring me peace and happiness upon reflection. I would say that was one of about four different experiences I had in the last year that bring me satisfaction with life. The problem is that you get tired and fatigued at times, and need rest.
I also think one of the biggest boosters of spirituality and inner peace is age. Research I’m doing at school indicates that one trait — known as Emotional Stability — tends to increase with age Our lows tend to get higher and highs tend to get lower as we age. We live in a narrower bandwidth of peace as older adults than as younger adults.
I also find peace from reading about books that make me better. I am re-reading the book called “The LIfe-changing Magic of Tidying Up” and it motivates me to keep my personal space clean. The skills it teaches me bring me inner peace.
All this happens as I need it. Kind of the way some people only eat when they are hungry. There are times when I hit spiritual lows and need to pray, perhaps read scripture-like works, meditate, and I will do it then, but when I don’t need it, I go out and DO THINGS.
I’m not very consistent although honestly I’d like to be better. I I try to pray and read some scripture/talk/uplifting thing everyday but don’t always do all that great. I find I really feel at peace when I’m out alone in the outdoors. Or with someone, as long as I’m out away from the crowds and it’s somewhat isolated. I make an effort to go hiking at least once a week when the weather is nice. Too hot for it right now, unless I leave the house at 4:30 and lately haven’t been motivated to do so. There is just something spiritual about the outdoors for me.
I’m here every day. Does that count?
🙂 These are beautiful. I love the range of options we have found. I was talking to a friend and her worship/devotion is during exercise. While she is sweating it she prays, processes, even meditates. She calls it her “daily work-in”. I do pray, it’s different and yet the same – the Divine and I communing. I meditate. Read inspiring works. Look for good. I work to incorporate those into my morning routine. Somehow it calms my storm.
Ray – Definitely Yes!
I have difficulty praying. Throughout my FC, I felt that it didn’t matter if I prayed or not. The message I came away with is: you’re on your own. I do like to read scripture & meditate. I’ve considered taking a transcendental meditation class. But, never followed through with it.
Has anyone used TM? What has it done for you?
Just curious.
Old Timer wrote:I’m here every day.
Does that count?
🙂 I wish there was a Like button.
Other than coming here, I don’t do daily devotional. Since I don’t really believe in prayer it would be pointless. I do read scripture, but not daily and not as part of a routine. And I study scripture (and other good books) by topic. I probably could say I ponder every day, but when, what, how and how long I do that varies considerably. I nevertheless find it beneficial. Quite frankly, a daily set devotional of reading some set amount of scripture and prayer seems too much like the answers I dislike so much from the more believing/orthodox members. The answers are not all there and I’m not sure doing so does anything at all for me (and yes, there was a time – a very long time – where I did do it “religiously”). I wish it were otherwise.
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