"The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live

in the midst of this world without being caught up in the net of

wounds and needs.

The word 'prayer' stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chains

of interlocking dependencies leading to violence and war and

for an entering into a totally new dwelling place.

It points to a new way of speaking, a new way of breathing,

a new way of being together, a new way of knowing,

yes, a whole new way of living.

It is not easy to express the radical change that prayer represents,

since for many the word 'prayer' is associated with piety,

talking to God, thinking about God, morning and evening exercises,

Sunday services, grace before meals, sentences from the Bible,

and many other things.

All of these have something to do with prayer,

but when I speak about prayer as the basis for peacemaking,

I speak first of all about moving away from the dwelling place

of those who hate peace into the house of God....

Prayer is the center of Christian life.

It is the only necessary thing(Luke 10:42).

It is living with God here and now."

--- Henri J.M. Nouwen

from the book "The Only Necessary Thing"

"Living a prayerful life", 1999