"A prayer in its simplest definition is merely a wish turned Godward"

A prayer, at its essence, is the pure distillation of human longing, hope, or desire, but it is fundamentally transformed by the act of directing it toward the divine. When a wish becomes Godward, it carries with it a sense of surrender, trust, and the acknowledgment of a presence greater than oneself. Wishes arise naturally from the human experience, wishes for health, happiness, safety, meaning, or resolution to grief. Yet they often linger internally, confined to the private sphere of the heart and mind. By aiming such wishes toward God, an individual bridges the gap between the internal and the transcendent.

This Godward movement instills the wish with deeper significance. It becomes not simply a fleeting desire, but an act of vulnerability, humility, and faith. Rather than striving to control circumstances, the person praying entrusts the outcome to a loving or wise presence, whether conceived as a personal God, the universe, or a power greater than oneself. In so doing, prayer is no longer a solitary activity; it is a relational exchange, a conversation that implicitly admits one's dependence, gratitude, or sense of wonder.

Furthermore, the act of turning a wish Godward can foster connection, with the divine, with others, and even with oneself. When prayers are communal, they bind individuals through shared hopes. Even in solitude, prayer invites self-examination, leading a person to consider not only what they wish for, but why. The process clarifies desires and often molds them, inviting transformation as much as satisfaction.

Phillips Brooks distills the core of prayer into something both accessible and profound. At the heart of it lies a simple movement, the lifting of human wants, fears, joys, and uncertainties to something or someone beyond ourselves. In elevating a wish into prayer, we participate in a timeless human act: seeking meaning, connection, and solace in the face of life's mysteries.