Praying with Nature

THE PRACTICE INVOLVES a deep examination of a natural object—a leaf, a flower, a tree, the grass, the sky, anything. In this prayer a certain amount of time is set aside during which you will examine your item in silence, after you have begun by noting your intention and desire to see God in all.

We rarely take the time to really look at things. So in this practice, you have the opportunity to look deeply. Examine the veins on a leaf. Appreciate the shape, the texture, the color of a tree branch. Allow your mind to imagine how this object came into being, its various stages of growth. What other creatures have benefited from the shade of the tree? Realize that you are breathing the oxygen produced by the grass beneath your feet.

– Daniel Wolpert
Creating a Life with God