Prayer: Anselm of Canterbury: Faith Seeking Understanding Through Prayer

Anselm of Canterbury (d. 1109) combined rigorous intellectual theology with deeply personal prayer. His "Proslogion" begins: "Come now, little man, flee for a while from your tasks, hide yourself for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Cast aside your burdensome cares, and put aside your laborious pursuits. Give yourself over to God for a little while, and rest for a little while in Him."

Anselm's famous formula -- "faith seeking understanding" (fides quaerens intellectum) -- meant that theology is best done on one's knees. His philosophical arguments for God's existence emerge not from detached reasoning but from prayerful meditation. The entire "Proslogion" is addressed to God, not to an academic audience.

Practical application: Bring your intellectual questions about faith into prayer. Instead of merely studying theology, pray about it: "Lord, help me understand why suffering exists." "Lord, show me what resurrection means." Anselm teaches that the deepest understanding of God comes not through argument but through prayerful inquiry.