For some of us, prayer happens best when we’re outside.

Taking a walk in the quiet outdoors
Hearing the back-and-forth call of birds
Feeling the wind or sunshine
Tromping through thick snow
Spotting a bald eagle
Glimpsing the sparkle of sun on lake waters
Wandering through thousand-year-old forests
Following a butterfly’s journey
Feeding a horse an apple
Laying on a blanket in the park, looking up at the sky
Finding a rainbow
Listening to the rhythmic pattern of pounding waves

There are unending ways the natural world invites us toward God.

It teaches us God’s peace, as it continues on without worry of all that worries us. It teaches us God’s beauty, as the intricacies and creativity abound. It teaches us God’s care, as the ecosystems and cycles of life exist in perfect balance. And on and on and on.

The natural world becomes a doorway into the heart of God.

How have you experienced nature as prayer?