Naked Prayer

 Contemplative prayer can be called, “Naked Prayer.”  Why?  Because it is the prayer of deepest intimacy with God.  When you came into existence in a body, you were naked and most intimate with our Creator.  Then in the world we clothe ourselves with thoughts, words, emotions of all kinds and the intimacy gets a bit diminished, to say the least.  In my own tradition, I see people trying to get intimate with God through rituals, things, pageants and so on.  Remember the Adam and Eve story in Genesis?  They were naked and in intimacy with their Creator.  Then they got to thinking about how to get “more” and it all fell apart. They got clothed. Thoughts and words in prayer are “clothing” that we might need in coming to some relationship with The One.  But at some point, if we are to grow into deeper intimacy, we have to let go of this spiritual clothing and be naked before Ultimate Reality.  No focus on thoughts, words, rituals.  In my religion, Jesus gave himself completely to God, on the cross.  Jesus was naked.  Contemplative prayer does not always make you happy, joyous and free.  Until it does.