Adjective to describe something that is not rushed

Question

I was having trouble thinking of the right word to use to describe a process that is not rushed.

I suppose I could say not rushed, but I think there should be a single word for it. Also I prefer not to use the negative for my particular use case.

Example: When saying a prayer, one would not be like "ok, lets just get this over with" and proceed to pray really fast. Thus prayer is said to be _________.

I was thinking sacred might be suitable here, but, at best, sacred would merely imply it's not rushed due to its significance. Also, there are other non-sacred examples too. I will need something more general.

Answer 1

The word 'measured' would be appropriate, and particularly appropriate for the chosen example sentence.

b. Of aspects of language: carefully weighed or calculated; regulated, moderated, restrained. Of a person: using language in a careful, restrained way.

OED

We should be measuring our words carefully because we will have to give an account for them someday.

Bible Verses About The Power of Words

'Measured' implies thoughtful preparation and also implies care about content as stated in Ecclesiastes :

Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 :

Answer 2

Consider unhurried or unrushed. The former is more common.

unhurried: Moving, acting, or taking place without haste or urgency. OD

unrushed: Characterized by an absence of haste; unhurried. OD

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You can find examples of unhurried prayer (and the less common unrushed prayer) also.

How many of us compensate, for lack of unhurried prayer time, by having “popcorn prayer time” or “flash prayers” throughout our day as a substitute?

_{https://inspirationandhope.wordpress.com/tag/prayer-cannot-be-rushed/}

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The tighter the tension, the more time must there be for unhurried prayer.

_{Quiet Talks on Prayer (by S. D. Gordon)}

Answer 3

Other possible options are deliberate or thorough.

Answer 4

The word that comes to mind is meticulous as the opposite of rushed would be to do things slowly (and there seems implication that there should be an element of attention to detail and care in executing these processes), thus according to meticulous' definition it should fit

Meticulous: showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Source: http://www.dictionary.com/

Answer 5

The first word that comes to my mind is leisurely, although that may not be appropriate in a prayer context. I think the best word for you here is unhurried, as in

Prayer should be an unhurried activity.

Alternatively:

Prayer should be a relaxing activity.

Slightly different focus, to the same effect.

Answer 6

I don't think it works in your example about prayer, but in other contexts, you could describe a pace that is relaxed or casual: "Susan raced through the math test, while Jake embarked on a more relaxed pace."

Answer 7

There are a number of good options here, but I'd like to add painstaking. The word implies that actual effort is being expended not to rush the process.

From the Cambridge Dictionary: (esp. of work) very careful and needing a lot of attention.

It took many months of painstaking research, but he was now ready to write the book.