In the classic book ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Miss Cornelia, a staunch Presbyterian, hears that a friend is ailing.

Cornelia is told the situation is so dire that her friend will now have to, ‘rely on the Lord.’ Cornelia gasps and is overcome with emotion. She replies, ‘Surely, it isn’t as bad as all that!’

Mark Thibodeaux, a spiritual writer, likes to delineate between four kinds of prayer. The first, is the one that Cornelia is edging around –  prayer when ‘you haven’t got a prayer’ - which is a prayer of petition like ‘Oh God, heal my friend!’

Or my favorite is the old Catholic petition for a parking spot, ‘Mother Cabrini, Mother Cabrini, find a place for my little machine-y.’

Petition is the most common kind of prayer. Thibodeaux labels it as talking at God. This is contrasted with a second kind, talking to God. There’s a third kind, listening to God. And there’s a fourth called being with God.

We explore deeper forms of prayer because there is no better place to find centeredness, direction, and meaning in our lives than in prayer, especially those latter three types. We pray because our souls are starved for meaning and we believe that prayer is a way to transcend the boundaries of self and reach beyond, to a reality we know is there.

Yes, like exercise and a proper diet, we often fail to make adequate accommodation for prayer, but when we do, it’s golden.

So friends, what might we do to make more space for prayer?