Do you really mean the words you say in prayer?

Or do you mumble them in a monotonous manner?

Unfortunately, mumbling the words is how many people express themselves in prayer...

Now, if I were to speak to you in a monotonous, mumbling and rushed manner (no emotion, no expression)...

...what would you reasonably assume about me?

- That I'm not very serious about our interaction...

- That I'm not really interested in getting a message across to you...

- That I don't really mean what I'm saying to you...

All of the above, right?

Well in prayer, we're not talking to another human being... we're talking to God.

We're having a real meeting and interaction with Him.

If you talk to God (or anyone) in a mumbling, motonous way, then clearly you don't mean what you're saying...

...because you can't claim to mean it, while saying it like that at the same time.

That's why I call this prayer tip: Meaning vs. Mumbling

The two can't really go hand in hand...

Either you mumble what you say in prayer, or you mean what you say.

—

Let's apply this tip to a phrase that we say in every unit of every prayer...

Ihdinas-siratal mustaqim

Guide us to / along the straight path

You see, in life when you're lost and you ask for directions, you ask with a certain urgency and even desperation...

...especially if getting to the destination is really important to you.

Now think about how we usually say Ihdinas-siratal mustaqim...

We're asking Allah to guide us (is there anything more important?)... but more often than not, we just mumble the words.

What does that say about (a) how much we value that interaction with God and (b) how much we actually want His guidance?

—

Even when you understand the meanings of the words... it's still easy to mumble them.

Why?

Because it's become a (bad) habit.

How do you overcome the OLD habit of mumbling the words in prayer...

...and instead build a NEW habit of saying them with meaning?

Three words:

Take. A. Pause.

Pausing for silence in between phrases, movements and positions is so important.

Oftentimes, from the beginning to the end of prayer, we say phrases the whole way through... literally without stopping or pausing.

Instead...

Pause. Be present. Think.

Let what you're saying in every step of the prayer sink in.

As you continue to do this and focus more on meaning (not mumbling) what you say...

...see how your prayer becomes the beautiful, fulfilling experience and connection with God that it's meant to be!