Too often prayer degenerates into a preoccupation with self concerns and our immediate problems. The wonder of prayer is that it provides us with an avenue that can lead us into the very presence of God Himself.

Ancient Hebrews understood this transporting power of prayer. The Psalmist wrote: “Enter His gates with THANKSGIVING; go into His courts with PRAISE. Give thanks to Him and call upon His NAME” (Psalm 100:3).

Thanksgiving concentrates on His acts, on what He has done. Praise, however, concentrates on His attributes or on who God is. Time spent in meditating directly on who He is brings us into a place of intimacy with Him.

The question is: once we are in this place, what do we do? Using Anglican beads with directed meditation is one answer. Meditation focuses the mind; prayer attunes the spirit; and contact with the beads enlists the body. All come together in this devotional practice by integrating us as a whole: body, soul, and spirit, the way God created us. By lingering and pondering on God, we will find rest and refreshment as He reveals Himself to us.

This combination of prayer, beads, and meditating on the Names of God from Scripture is a simple yet profound way to abide in the presence of the Creator Himself.

+John-David Schofield

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

MEDITATION

Names of God List

Reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation reveals myriad names for God, each one sparkling with a new facet of His attributes.

Presented here is a meditation on 99 names of God.

Why meditate on the names of God?

In Biblical times a name was thought to reveal an individual’s identity, nature or character. Untold numbers of God’s people have meditated on His names as found in the Bible and have deepened their awareness of His infinite qualities.

Why use prayer beads?

For centuries prayer beads have been used by people of faith to focus their minds (in meditation), their spirits (through prayer), and their bodies (by touching the beads) on the Lord Himself. This method of worship can help attune one’s whole being to His presence in the midst of the distractions of day to day living.

What are Anglican Prayer Beads?

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Anglican Prayer Beads are made of a cross and 33 beads.
Meditation begins at the cross (1).
The first large bead (2) invites the worshiper into prayer.
Each of the other four large beads (3) precedes a grouping of seven smaller beads (4).

How does one use Anglican Prayer Beads to meditate on God?

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Completion of the whole meditation requires three circlings of the beads. The first circling focuses on God the Father; the second on God the Son; and the third on God the Holy Spirit.
Each group of 33 names follows a general pattern. See diagram. Understanding this layout helps memorization come naturally.

To begin meditation with Prayer Beads begin on God the Father, continue with God the Son, then finish with God the Holy Spirit.