The Prayer Life of Saint Patrick: A Model of Christian Contemplation

Introduction

Saint Patrick of Ireland (c. 387-461 AD) stands as one of Christianity’s most powerful examples of a life immersed in prayer, meditation, and intimate communion with God. Patrick, the historical figure—unlike the popularized version of shamrocks and parades—has lived a life that not only influenced his own spiritual journey, but also shaped the very people of an entire nation.

A Foundation Forged in Captivity

Patrick’s prayer life began in the most unlikely of circumstances—as a sixteen-year-old slave tending sheep on the cold hillsides of Ireland. In his own words from his Confessio, Patrick describes his spiritual awakening:

After I came to Ireland—every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed—the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; and I used to get up for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm.

Although Patrick was praying many hundreds of times each day, this pattern of praying was not a show of performance by a trained presbyter. Rather, it represents a time of tremendous turmoil and anguish, and he was returning to God with his cry for help through the struggle of his enslavement. Patrick put into practice the apostle Paul’s encouragement to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Therefore, even in his imprisonment, Patrick was able to find ways to encounter God.

Prayer as Spiritual Warfare

In Patrick’s writings, he believed that prayer was more than just a petition; it was a spiritual battle. His writings reveal that he is a man of intercession who engaged the demonic forces in pagan Ireland in prayer. Patrick describes one such engagement as follows:

And on the same night while I was sleeping, Satan assailed me violently—I shall remember it as long as I shall be in this body... But after that I did not believe him, thanks to my Christ. And he spoke to me like a rock; and what is more, I saw in the spirit the sun rise in the sky.

This quote confirms the truth of the biblical teaching: “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age” (Ephesians 6:12). Patrick’s prayer life equipped him for the spiritual warfare that he would face while preaching the Gospel in Ireland.

The Breastplate: A Prayer of Divine Protection

No single prayer more fully expresses Patrick’s mystical understanding of God’s presence than that of the famous “Lorica” or “Breastplate of Saint Patrick.” Scholars are uncertain as to whom to attribute authorship to, however, it is believed to have originated during Patrick’s time and exemplifies the contemplative spirit of this era. The prayer states:

I arise today through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me...

This prayer symbolizes the biblical doctrine that “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). This prayer of Patrick demonstrates the Christian mystical viewpoint on the place of humanity in God, as Jesus said:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

John 15:4

Contemplation in Nature

Patrick’s six years of solitary shepherding on the hillsides of Ireland developed in him what the Christian mystics refer to as “the practice of the presence of God.” Like the psalmist who stated: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1), Patrick looked at creation as a portal through which to contemplate the Creator.

Patrick’s approach to nature was not to worship nature, but rather to use nature as a source of instruction regarding divine truths. Patrick saw the three-leaf shamrock, for example, not as a magical charm, but rather as a teaching tool to illustrate the mystery of the Holy Trinity—one God in three persons. This view was consistent with the apostle Paul’s assertion that “since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20).

The Discipline of Solitude

After escaping from slavery and training for ministry, Patrick would often go to lonely places to pray and fast. The Confessio of Patrick reveals a man who was seeking God in silence and solitude, following the example set by Jesus himself, who “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

According to one tradition, it is said that Patrick fasted and prayed on the summit of Croagh Patrick (which at that time was known as Cruachan Aigli) for forty days and forty nights. While it is impossible to verify every detail of this story as presented in the traditions associated with Patrick, the historical Patrick had a clear understanding of the requirement to withdraw from the distractions of the world in order to achieve an intimate communion with God. The biblical examples of this practice are Moses on Sinai, Elijah at Horeb, and Jesus in the wilderness; these three individuals all spent time in prayer and fasting, which serves as examples for us today.

Meditation on Scripture

Patrick’s writings are short yet contain a wealth of scriptural terminology and references. He immersed himself in the Word of God to such an extent that every prayer and testimony he offered flowed naturally out of his relationship with Jesus Christ. This is consistent with the biblical explanation of meditating on God’s Word “day and night” (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2).

Patrick understood the importance of meditation as filling your mind with the truths of God, rather than merely thinking about nothingness. Similar to Mary, who “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19), Patrick would meditate on Scripture, which caused him to allow Scripture to form the basis for his thinking, praying and living.

Union with Christ Through Prayer

At the center of Patrick’s mysticism was his profound awareness of being united with Christ. This was not a false, mystical “Christ-consciousness” of modern New Age movement, but rather the biblical concept of being “in Christ,” which is a phrase repeated many times in the letters of the apostle Paul.

Patrick understood that believers are united with Christ through faith to experience His sacrificial death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). Through his Confessio, Patrick made clear that his actions did not come from him but rather were accomplished by Christ residing within him: “And this is my confession before I die.” His humility speaks to what Paul shared, namely:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2:20

The Trinity in Patrick’s Prayer Life

Patrick’s spirituality could easily be described as a Trinitarian spirituality and showed itself in the way Patrick prayed. Patrick opened his prayers to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as divine living persons, each of Whom he had established a very close relationship with. Patrick repeatedly called on the Trinity in his “Breastplate” prayer:

I arise today through the strength of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.

This focus on the Trinity in Patrick’s spirituality reflects the teachings of Jesus, who instructed us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Authentic Christian mysticism will always result in communion with the triune God as He is revealed in Scripture.

Prayer and Mission

Contemplation was not seen as incompatible with action by Patrick, but rather the contemplative life served as the basis for Patrick’s active involvement in ministry. The early body of believers devoted themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4), and Patrick recognized that effective ministry is the product of intimate communion with God.

Patrick baptized thousands and ordained clergy, establishing churches throughout Ireland. However, these efforts were born out of his life being hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Patrick’s activism did not replace his contemplative life, but rather his contemplative walk produced and empowered his activism.

Patrick’s Legacy for Modern Christians

The example of St. Patrick speaks to today’s followers of Christ about returning to the same age-old, but still applicable practices of prayer, meditation, and contemplative devotion to God. St. Patrick is an example for modern believers to remember to take time away from everything distracting us and to try to be close to God; God transforms us through continuing to have a relationship with Him.

Patrick’s life exemplifies that to be a mystic in the Christian faith is not just a desire of the spiritual elite or someone who is spiritually more privileged than others but rather this is the birthright of each believer who chooses to “draw near to God” with the promise that “He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). This is what Jesus means when He says:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Practical Applications

How can you implement Patrick’s example as you walk with God?

Develop a rhythm of regular prayer. While we may not pray one hundred times daily as Patrick did, we can establish consistent times of seeking God’s face, morning and evening, following the psalmist’s pattern (Psalm 55:17).

Practice solitude. The world is filled with so many distractions and noises, you need to intentionally find a place to withdraw to quiet your soul so that you can hear God’s voice as He instructed when He said:

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.

Matthew 6:6

Meditate on Scripture. You need to fill your mind with God’s Word, allowing it to dwell within you in abundance (Colossians 3:16). Meditation is not about emptying yourself out but filling your mind with God’s truth.

Pray the ancient prayers. The prayers and liturgies of the early church (including the style of prayer during Patrick’s time), may enrich your communion with God and provide an awareness of the universal fellowship of the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1).

Cultivate awareness of God’s presence. Throughout your day, make a conscious effort to direct your thoughts toward God realizing how close He is to you:

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.

Psalm 145:18

Conclusion

St. Patrick was not a magical folk hero or a mere historical figure, but was a man who discovered how prayer, meditation, and contemplative union with Christ can transform your life. St. Patrick’s life shows us that being a Christian mystic is living at the depth of your relationship with Christ; completely abiding in Him, living a Spirit-filled life, and knowing God’s love through Jesus.

While it is good for us to celebrate St. Patrick and what he did to reach people with the gospel, we also need to emulate St. Patrick’s way of living a devotion to God through prayer, meditation and contemplative practice so that we, like St. Patrick, can have a great impact in our world today because we have driven out darkness and shared the light of Christ with the nations of the world.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 27:1

May we, like Patrick, find our strength, our wisdom, and our mission in the presence of the living God, discovered through fervent prayer, Scripture meditation, and the mystical reality of Christ dwelling in us, “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).