Nouslife: Discovering your soul's path to God

03 September 2006

Discovering your soul's path to God

Here's an intriguing way of thinking about our 'prayerstyles' -I'm wondering whether the number nine is significant in flagging up a basis in enneagram. I have a suspicion that this may be the case. But whatever the origin, these kinds of things are helpful in helping us first to realise that our personality will tend to find some ways of praying and relating to God easier and others harder and that it will be different for different people. With that awareness comes the realisation that it is okay to do it differently to you neighbour and to experiment to find ways that work better for you.

Here is a very brief synopsis of The Nine Sacred Pathways
Naturalists-prefer to leave any building, however beautiful or austere, to pray to God in His various places of creation/nature. They are recharged in nature.
Sensates-want to be lost in the awe, beauty, and splendor of God. When these Christians worship, they want to be filled with sights, sounds, and smells that overwhelm them.
Traditionalists-fed by what are often termed the historic dimensions of faith; rituals, symbols, sacraments, and sacrifice. These Christians tend to have a disciplined life of faith. They have a need for ritual and structure.
Ascetics-want nothing more than to be left alone in prayer. Let there be nothing to distract them; no pictures, no loud music, and leave them alone to pray in silence and simplicity.
Activists-serve a God of justice, and their favorite Scripture is often the account of Jesus cleansing the temple. They define worship as standing against evil and calling sinners to repentance.
Caregivers-serve God by serving others. They often claim to see Christ in the poor and needy, and their faith is built up by interacting with other people.
Enthusiasts-excitement and mystery in worship is the spiritual lifeblood of enthusiasts. They are inspired by joyful celebration. These Christians are cheerleaders for God and the Christian life.
Contemplatives-refer to God as their lover, and images of a loving Father and Bridegroom predominate their view of God. The focus is not necessarily on serving God, doing his will, accomplishing great things in his name, or even obeying God. Rather, these Christians seek to love God with purest, deepest, and brightest love imaginable.
Intellectuals-they love God with their minds. They like to study the Bible and other books. They might think; if I am not learning anything new about God, then my relationship feels stagnant.