Goodbye

With one another we usually have a pattern for saying farewell. People might hug, shake hands, nod and smile and perhaps make arrangements to meet again.

Times of prayer can benefit from similar actions and words. While we know that we do not leave God’s presence, bringing clear closure to the time that has been set apart helps us avoid prayers that fizzle out or drift into distraction.

It can be helpful to move towards the end of your prayers with a time of quiet, moving from talking to God to listening to God. If a particular thought comes to mind, you might spend this time talking about it, or simply holding it before God.