Last Sunday, the prayer ministry team (who lead the intercessions in our regular services) met to share our experiences of prayer in and beyond church, and to explore both the intimate and the public faces of our conversations with God.
Personal practice varied - from routine and discipline to less regular practice (full disclosure - I admit that I tend to the latter!), and from full body prayers to quiet stillness.
What is your prayer routine? Do you think of prayer as a discipline to be learned and practiced until it comes naturally, or more like a part of a friendship that can be a little more relaxed? Do you use it to nurture your relationship with God, or do you come to God out of guilt or need?
I return often to a book I was invited to read very early in my journey to ministry called Soul Feast, by Marjorie Thompson. In an excellent chapter on prayer and prayer styles, she writes:
"Prayer involves freely entering a relationship of communication and communion with God, for the sake of knowledge, growth and mutual enjoyment."
I take this to mean that the discipline of prayer is one of both speaking (aloud or within) and listening. That it can be fun, and should be a regular part of life.
I would like to invite you to take stock of your prayer life. Ask yourself, How do I pray? When do I pray? When else, and how else could I pray? Reach out to a friend and discuss it with them, if you wish. What can you learn from another person's discipline?
Prayer is a discipline as well as a relationship. It needs space and time to enable each of our relationships with God to nurture. It's also a lovely way to give back to your church community. When I write and send these newsletters, I try to remember to take a moment to pray for you all before I press send. When we gather for worship, the leadership team pray for you and for one another. We would all as a community benefit from being held in prayer by all of you.
In prayer,
Kate
Personal practice varied - from routine and discipline to less regular practice (full disclosure - I admit that I tend to the latter!), and from full body prayers to quiet stillness.
What is your prayer routine? Do you think of prayer as a discipline to be learned and practiced until it comes naturally, or more like a part of a friendship that can be a little more relaxed? Do you use it to nurture your relationship with God, or do you come to God out of guilt or need?
I return often to a book I was invited to read very early in my journey to ministry called Soul Feast, by Marjorie Thompson. In an excellent chapter on prayer and prayer styles, she writes:
"Prayer involves freely entering a relationship of communication and communion with God, for the sake of knowledge, growth and mutual enjoyment."
I take this to mean that the discipline of prayer is one of both speaking (aloud or within) and listening. That it can be fun, and should be a regular part of life.
I would like to invite you to take stock of your prayer life. Ask yourself, How do I pray? When do I pray? When else, and how else could I pray? Reach out to a friend and discuss it with them, if you wish. What can you learn from another person's discipline?
Prayer is a discipline as well as a relationship. It needs space and time to enable each of our relationships with God to nurture. It's also a lovely way to give back to your church community. When I write and send these newsletters, I try to remember to take a moment to pray for you all before I press send. When we gather for worship, the leadership team pray for you and for one another. We would all as a community benefit from being held in prayer by all of you.
In prayer,
Kate
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