Prayer: Augustine on Desire and Prayer

Augustine of Hippo taught that the deepest prayer is desire itself. In his letter to Proba he wrote: "Your very desire is your prayer; and if your desire is continual, your prayer is continual also. For the Apostle did not say without cause, 'Pray without ceasing.' Does he mean that we are to be incessantly on bended knees, or prostrate, or lifting up our hands? If this is what is meant by praying without ceasing, then I say it is impossible. There is another kind of inward prayer that knows no ceasing, and that is the prayer of desire."

Augustine further explained: "Whatever else you say in prayer, if you desire rightly, you have already said it before you began to speak. But if desire is lacking, then however much you may move your lips, you are dumb before God." This teaching liberated prayer from mere technique and rooted it in the longing of the heart.

Practical application: Before beginning formal prayer, spend a few moments simply noticing what you truly desire. What is your deepest longing today? Bring that desire honestly before God, even if it feels unspiritual. Augustine teaches that authentic desire, directed toward God, is itself a form of prayer that transcends words.