For People with Bishop Rob Wright
For People with Bishop Rob Wright
Prayer with The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir
When Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," they recognized how Jesus connected with the Divine. The prayer the disciples asked for wasn’t about polished words. It was about relationship.
In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir about prayer and its power to transform our spiritual lives. Salmoon shares the story of how his mother instilled prayer as a non-negotiable daily practice in their family life. The conversation reveals how early formation in prayer creates patterns that sustain us through life's complexities.
Prayer emerges not as a performance or obligation but as relationship-building with the divine. "The focus of prayer is to be like Jesus, love like Jesus, pray like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, welcome strangers like Jesus," Salmoon explains. This relational approach dismantles the anxiety many feel about "praying correctly," affirming that from ancient liturgical traditions to simple heartfelt words, there's no wrong way to pray. As Salmoon prepares to pass these prayer traditions to his four-month-old son by reading Psalms at bedtime, we're reminded that prayer forms not just our spiritual lives but the generations that follow. Listen in for the full conversation.
Read For Faith, the companion devotional.
The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir serves as the Canon for Liturgy and Ecumenism at the Cathedral of St. Philip. Originally from Pakistan, Salmoon brings over a decade of experience in offering compassionate and thoughtful leadership across multicultural, multi-faith contexts in the United States, Pakistan, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Georgia.
Before ordained ministry, Salmoon worked as a Project Engineer in the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. Responding to a vocational call, he joined the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace in London, serving alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury. He later moved to the Republic of Georgia, where he served as Assistant Pastor in a vibrant, multiethnic, and multidenominational church.
Salmoon's call to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church led him to Atlanta, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree with a Certificate in Episcopal-Anglican Studies and a Chaplaincy concentration from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. In addition to his ministry, Salmoon serves on several academic, religious, and nonprofit boards. He is married to Mari, a fellow graduate of Candler School of Theology, who works with a faith-based nonprofit organization.
We pray to become like Jesus. Of course, there are moments when we ask things, there are moments when we give thanks. Through that whole system, we build relationship with Jesus, with God, with the Holy Spirit. I feel like our focus or our desire through every prayer is to be like Him, love like Jesus, pray like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, welcome strangers like Jesus, the way he did that.
Melissa:Welcome to For People with Bishop Rob Wright. I'm your host Melissa Rau and this is a conversation inspired by For Faith, a weekly devotion sent out every Friday. You can find a link to this week's For Faith and a link to subscribe in the episode's description. Now, over the last few weeks we've had special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta, since Bishop Rob is focusing on continuing education, and this week we have the Reverend Canon Salmoon Bashir, who serves as a canon for liturgy and ecumenism with the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. Did I get that right? I think I said ecumenism correctly.
Salmoon:That's correct.
Melissa:We're really glad you're with us.
Salmoon:Thank you.
Melissa:Awesome. Well, we're so glad you're with us and I'm glad for your words of wisdom. So you did your devotion based off of Luke 11, verses 1 through 13. And this is, of course, where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. You shared with us a little bit about your mom's influence on you in your prayer life and how she helped form you in faith.
Salmoon:Yeah, especially when I was reading this scripture passage I mean, we have heard it multiple times, the Lord's Prayer, and one of probably the first ones kids know about this passage. So but this time, when I was reading that, the very first verse, lord teach us to pray. That really caught my attention and I was like, wow, who are the people who taught me to pray? And the first person who came to my mind was my mother. You know, she was not a, she did not have any, she did not have any formal education, but she had a lot of life experiences. Earlier this year she passed away, but one of the very first things she taught me and my siblings were to pray.
Salmoon:And every single morning. I remember before breakfast, and sometimes nowadays I feel like if I say it or it might be not politically correct also, but before breakfast she was like no breakfast until you pray, breakfast until you pray. So those small moments really instilled in our lives and you know over time now, when I look back into that, the habit of praying, when she made us to pray every single morning. So as a family we used to pray individually, every person differently, in the morning, and then later in the evening, before sleeping. We used to pray as a family, so that was our family routine and my mother was the very instrumental person who made it happen. And I feel like now that is why, thank God, still there are moments when, of course, as a human, we don't pray, but uh, but I mean, I'm talking about taking time and sit down and pray in that sense, but back of my mind, I feel like that habit instill in me a lot.
Salmoon:Yeah.
Melissa:Well, you used a good word habit. Well, I've got a question about that, but I do want to ask this one first. So remind me how long you've been a priest.
Salmoon:So I am a priest two years now.
Melissa:Two years Okay.
Salmoon:We know each other for a long time.
Melissa:I know I didn't realize it was just two years. That's amazing. Well, I also know that you've had a lifelong faith and clearly prayer isn't new to you. You had such a strong faithful influence in your life, in your mom, who modeled praying without ceasing. So you've been around that, that's how you were formed, and so you're now a priest. And so I'm curious how might you, as a priest who has been around this his whole life, encourage folks who haven't had that similar influence to even start praying?
Salmoon:Hmm, I think so. I have been asked that question multiple times by a few people, that question multiple times by a few people. I think part of my take on this always is that prayer is the way of building relationship with God, with Jesus. And I mean, even in this scripture, when we see that we pray, jesus taught them first thing our Father. There is a relationship aspect in that. So in the devotion, when people will read that, there is that aspect of we pray to become like Jesus, it's not like, of course, there are moments when we ask things, there are moments when we give thanks, and Bishop Wright actually he talked a lot about adoration, prayer, adoration is part of the prayer also, and giving thanks A lot of time. We ask a lot of things in our prayer, always needs, needs, which is great, but the first part of the prayer is adoration. So I talk a lot about adoration, giving thanks and then, of course, asking for our needs, and that through that whole system we build relationship with Jesus, with God, with the Holy Spirit, and I feel like our focus or our desire through every prayer is to be like him.
Salmoon:Jesus said our father, and when he say he want us to be, to say that to God also. Our father, when he say, forgive others, he forgave others, and then he want us to forgive also. Our Father. When he said, forgive others, he forgave others and then he want us to forgive others also, he asked like all those things he thy will be done. He fulfilled the will of the Father and he asked us to fulfill the will of the Father also. So he practically did everything what he taught us to pray, which means the purpose of the prayer is to be like Jesus, love like Jesus, pray like Jesus, forgive like Jesus, welcome strangers like Jesus. The way he did that. So I think I always talk to people. Focus of prayer is, of course, as I mentioned earlier, thanksgiving and adoration and needs and all sorts of things, but at the end of the day it's a relationship with Jesus also.
Melissa:Yeah, so, and you, you know you just talked about adoration and gratitude and Thanksgiving and intercession, all those different types of prayers. I know there's a lot of different ways to pray, types of prayers. I know there's a lot of different ways to pray and I think prayer can be intimidating for those wanting a relationship with God but who haven't yet been lifelong prayers. So I'm curious Salmoon, do you think there's any wrong way to pray?
Salmoon:No, I think all sorts of prayers are welcome, especially, I mean I at the cathedral. I lead one of the young professionals group as well, those young people between the age of 20 to 40, I'm still consider myself a young professional so they have a lot of questions about, especially about oh, we never prayed formally, especially sitting in the church or kneeling down, or you know lots of postures, and we are Episcopalians and we like tradition. So they they had, they have questions a lot about these things and I always tell them that prayer is. Prayer is whatever comes from your heart. It is the, it is a desire that you are putting out to God or whatever you have in your heart. And that's how I feel.
Salmoon:Like, of course, early Christians in the first, second, third till fifth century or even later on, they gave us a lot of different models of prayer. Those were really beautiful and wonderful prayers and those were just simple words. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me. So I was talking about the ecumenical work and I live in an ecumenical household by myself and whenever I have a chance I read the Eastern Orthodox writings.
Salmoon:Whenever I have a chance, I read the Orthodox writing, eastern Orthodox writings, and the prayer is an important part in Eastern Orthodox theology and you know, right from the beginning of Christianity there were beautiful prayers and there are simple prayers also, just prayers like Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. And you know you pray over and over and over again, to the point where it becomes prayer, without ceasing, like even if you're sleeping or even if you're running, even if you are jogging or cooking I love cooking so in back of your mind those words are still going on. And you know I have a friend who called me to pray for her and when I was yesterday I cooked and I was like back of my mind was going on Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on this person. So I mean prayer can be very expansive words or just these simple words.
Melissa:Yeah, and so I also want to lift up the fact that you're a new daddy, yay, congrats. So I believe you have a four-month-old now.
Salmoon:Yep.
Melissa:And you are likely going to care about habit forming right, and so I am curious, like, where do you start? You got to start somewhere. I'm just going to tell you a little story. I was really intimidated.
Melissa:I was a youth leader, youth director gosh, 20 years ago, and I was raised as an Episcopalian and so, being raised up and lifted up in the Episcopal church, I loved me some good Book of Common Prayer. I never really tried to pray. That wasn't wrote in that. I read it. I was sheepish around praying off the cuff until I realized I have a little girl.
Melissa:My daughter Tally was only two years old at that point and I realized I'm like I got to learn how to start praying because I was working at a Presbyterian church and I had to pray with my youth and lead youth in prayer, and so I practiced with my daughter Like that's where I did it, so at bedtime we would get together and that's where I learned how to pray in front of others, praying where I didn't feel like I was being judged for the words that I was choosing, and it was really a great practice, and so that's how I helped her start a habit. Do you have any ideas about how your mom started that with you or what your plans are for your little guy.
Salmoon:Yeah, that's. You know. Yesterday I was sharing the almost the same thing with my wife, also about my mother, and she was like I hope that you're going to teach to our son also the same habit to pray. So, thank God. Baby showers, we got a lot of books from the cathedral people about prayers, about psalms. So I think I love psalms. Um, so I think I I love psalms. So I will start and I already started reading psalms when he is about to go to bed and psalms are prayers and psalms are beautiful prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of, uh, adoration or prayers when you are in need, so all sorts of things. So I start reading reading Psalms to him and I think he will learn through that as well.
Salmoon:You know, there is a person you mentioned about Book of Common Prayer, one of my parishioners. He came from another denomination to the Episcopal Church, and he's one of the regular parishioners, especially at our 1215 Eucharist every single day. We have a Eucharist service every single day at 1215 at the cathedral and he loved coming from the very evangelical, very charismatic background. Now he is in love with the liturgy of the Anglican Church, of the Episcopal Church, and he always carried a Book of Common Prayer with him and he said this church, or this tradition, opened a new way for me to pray the prayers which were written 500 years or.
Salmoon:Some of the theology is from the early church. Everything in the Book of Common Prayer came from Bible. A lot of people make joke that Episcopalians they don't read Bible. Well, we read Bible through the Book of Common Prayer too. So I think there are multiple ways to pray and Book of Common Prayer is one of the beautiful ways. I think Every prayer in that is probably very, very touching to me and whenever I pray Collect of Purity at the beginning of every Eucharistic service it feels like I am. These are words probably written came from Psalm 51, but I feel like those are the words of my heart also.
Melissa:Well, you, earlier on in your devotion you used a small but mighty word humility. Yeah, and I do have to say too, I read a really great book by a very popular Episcopal author and illustrator. His name is Roger Hutchison. He wrote a book called the Sparrow's Prayer and it's about a bird trying to find the perfect words and, you know, asking. You know has a lot of interactions. It's a children's book, but it's really by the end it's like Sparrow's life and the way Sparrow lived. It is also an offering, kind of like a prayer. So I don't know that I'm making a right or wrong. I'm pretty sure there is no wrong way. Just pray right, because it starts that I think prayer is the backbone of the relationship that we have with God. That's what your point was with. It's a relationship. I am curious about humility, though. Where and why do you believe humility is important?
Salmoon:You know, in that specific passage, when the disciples who were probably all of the men, and there were some women who were part of the group as well, probably they learned from the early scriptures how to pray. They knew a lot of things from the Hebrew scriptures but they were still eager to learn what Jesus needs to tell, teach them. So they came to Jesus and they asked Jesus that Lord, teach us how to pray, teach us.
Salmoon:There was a level of humility putting down yourself, and I feel like in praying, when we bow our head or even if we are in some kind of a posture, we put ourselves down in front of God or in front of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. And that is a great humility. When we fully trust God's will, when we fully say God, let your will be done in my life, as whatever is your will, so there's a huge surrender, there's a huge humility, part of humility in that way. So that's how I feel. Prayer is a posture where we put ourselves in a very humble way to God, in front of God. It's for me and I'm sure people have a different a lot of scholarly explanations of these things, but for me praying is humility explanations of these things, but for me, praying is humility.
Melissa:Salmoon, thank you so much for spending time with us. I'm actually going to offer a prayer right now. It's one of those like, off of the cuff, didn't practice it, and I'm just feeling so moved. And so, friends, this is not rehearsed or practiced, but I invite you to pray with me. Let's pray.
Melissa:Gracious God, we're so grateful for the ways that you show up into our lives. We're grateful for all the ways that you have blessed us and blessed creation through its existence and especially through your Jesus Christ. I'm especially grateful for our friend Salmoon Bashir, who is serving faithfully in his role as the canon of liturgy and ecumenism, and I'm grateful for his newborn son's very life and existence. So, God, I ask that you continue to show up big in their lives, dazzle and surprise them and help them live fully into the ways that you would have them be, to make your will and love known to all that they may meet. We're grateful for For People and we ask you to continue to bless this ministry In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Salmoon, thank you so much, and listeners, thank you for tuning in and listening to For People. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Bishop Rob Wright, or by visiting www. forpeopledigital. Please subscribe, leave a review and we'll be back with you next week.