A Fish in Running Water

There are many ways of praying (not simply the “Dear God” forms that many of us are most familiar with), but for many of us, “Dear God” makes the most sense.  I feel compelled to say that many of us feel the need to verbalize (whether out loud or not) our petitions, laments, and confessions “to” God (perhaps more so if we have our roots in a Christian background).  I know no other way than through words to form thought or conceptualize my needs and feelings.  If God is understood in panentheistic terms, this becomes problematic for the needs we may have for petition, lament, confession, etc.  I think, however, that I can take comfort in knowing that the verbalization is for me and my needs, and that while no one may be “listening” in the anthropomorphic sense we imagine, the focus required to put things into heartfelt language can be what we need in order to “put things into the Universe” in a way that neglecting dialogue-esque forms of prayer cannot (at least for me) and to address our own place within God.