“Conversation” is a word with an instructive derivation. The term comes from “con” (with) and “versation” (exchange), highlighting interaction and engagement.   It speaks of an informal and familiar tone, characteristic of casual, everyday communication.

Might it describe our own approach to prayer —  coming before God in a mostly relaxed and unaffected way.

An enlightening example of this prayer-style comes in the Old Testament in the praying of King David. His exchange with Yahweh there in the Second Book of Samuel reveals an everyday, personal quality.

Among the phrases of his one-to-one exchange with God, we hear: “Lord God. Who am I to come before You. And yet You brought me to this place. I ask You to follow through on what You have promised me. You are God and Your words are true. Bless this house that it might be before You forever.”

Here David exemplifies using that easy conversational tone with God. David is not forgetting the vast difference between himself and Yahweh, but he nonetheless feels free to use familiar sounding language. He addresses his Lord in that “conversational” tone.

In many of his conferences, Vincent encourages this warm affinity. Commenting on prayers his confreres have just spoken, Vincent instructs; “And yet above everything else there should be little reasoning, but much prayer; much, very much prayer. After having considered what I have just said, we should raise our hearts to God and say to him: ‘O Lord, send good workers to your Church, but may they be good… Let them even be few in number, provided they are good.”

(Volume: 11 | Page#: 321-2) Repetition of Prayer (Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist), 18 October, 1656 added on 6/28/2011

It’s certainly true that our prayer is to the One who is the Almighty God of the Universe. But it’s also true that through His Son Jesus, this Maker of the world has drawn near to us with the intimacy of a fellow human. Interchange between us and this all-loving Lord can combine both awe and familiarity — as we “converse” in the praying we do.