The Prayer Thread is a collection of teachings and practical prompts to help as we learn to pray in community. This text was originally delivered on September 5, 2025 as a short teaching at our online weekly prayer sit.
In one sense of the word, prayer is common because it happens often and in many places. In this sense, prayer is normal and usual, therefore common. Prayers before meals are common. Bedtime prayer is common. Weekly gatherings for prayer are common. Spontaneous prayers for help, or for guidance, are common. Prayer in this common sense points to the abundance of regularity.
In another sense of the word, prayer is common because it is shared in a specific group. In this sense, prayer is something that people have in common. In this sense, the particulars of prayer are emphasized. For example, Jews gather on a particular day to celebrate Sabbath and Christians gather on a specific day to celebrate Eucharist. Muslims bow a certain way in prayer and Hindus bow in another way for prayer. Each group holds a common aspect of prayer in common. Prayer in this common sense points to the richness of diversity.
In yet another sense, prayer is common because it connects people across time and space and social spheres. In this sense, prayer “has hands and feet” when it supports the common good. Prayers of intercession are common in this sense. Acts of service and charity towards others are common prayers in this sense. Investing in social structures that support the flourishing of human beings are common prayers in this sense. Prayers in this common sense, point to the wholeness of life in prayer, where the separation between action and petition is simply a convenient way to name the many different points on the continuum of prayer, and not an actual divide.
Common sense, then, tells us that there are many layers of sense to prayer as common! May we honor and celebrate the abundance, richness, and wholeness of prayer in all its common senses!
