I found an interesting article about finding a prayer style that suits your personality type. The author uses the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator and matches it up with four Catholic Prayer traditions.
NT (Intuitive-Thinking) types are paired with the prayer tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. In this tradition, you study a virtue, fault or theological truth from all angles in order to understand it. A scripture verse is meditated on in the morning and "carried around" through the day to effect a change in behavior.
NF (Intuitive-Feeling) types are paired with Augustinian prayer. Here you transpose the words of Scripture into daily life and current situation.
SJ (Sensing-Judging) types are asked to try the prayer style of St. Ignatius. The one who prays is put into the scriptural situation and so becomes a participant in salvation history. The liturgies of Holy Week are a good example of this type of prayer.
SP (Sensing-Perceiving) types are steered towards Franciscan prayer. This type of prayer is open to the working of the Holy Spirit. These people tend to pray throughout the day using something like the Jesus Prayer.
Hat tip to Lisa Graas via Twitter.
2 comments:
I have read this book. I believe it is a great tool for helping people find a way to pray that will enable them to be comfortable. I think that after they have done so, it is good to try another style of prayer so as to keep developing in intimacy with God.
Beatrice
I didn't know it was a book! I bet it was a good one. I saw an article about it. I've always wondered which prayer style is me--I did a modified Myers-Briggs a while ago but I don't remember what I turned out to be.
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