Reflecting further on Titus 2:14 we read these words "to purify for himself himself a people that are his very own."
Being connected to God requires that as a people we be pure and a good start to any prayer session is a prayer for purity.
The Book of Common Prayer supplies us with a prayer for purity (Page 67). It is the Collect for Purity that we prayer at the start of every service of Holy Communion. It asks God to send his Holy Spirit to clease the thoughts of our hearts so that we may approach a holy God as a Holy people.
The Book of Common Prayer has a great many examples of prayers that can be used for all occassions. Two of the best known are The Prayer for All Sorts of Conditions of Men and the General Thanksgiving (Page 14-15).
While there is much to commend extemporanous prayer there is also much to commend the use of prepared prayers such as those I have mentioned. Prepared prayers can give expression to thoughts and feelings that we may have difficulty expressing in our own words. I think this can be especially helpful to those who are beginning to develop a prayer life.
These prayers can also serve as prayer models that can be modified to fit our personal life situation. One way of modifying these prayers is to change the words "our" to "my" and "we" to "I".
Try beginning your prayer sessions with the Collect for Purity with these changes. Notice what the conclusion of the prayer becomes.
"Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that I may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Jesus Christ my Lord."
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