How to strengthen your prayer life continues to be one of the most frequently asked questions when I lead retreats, see the results of this blog’s readers survey, and in my spiritual direction practice. Prayer is a foundation for all healthy spirituality and most of us have a strong desire to be with God more deeply in prayer. Exploring our prayer life and ways to strengthen and enhance how we prayer is this month’s Tending the Holy Thursday series. Each month on my Thursday posts, I pick one theme (or person of faith) to explore. Last week I wrote about the flow of prayer and invited you to be aware of how you pray and what draws you closer to God and what pulls you away from him. I hope you did observe something in the flow of prayer throughout your day that strengthens your prayer life. This week I am sharing 3 practical prayer habits - triggers, types, and time - to strengthen our prayer life. Next week we will explore some prayer tools that can help us and the last … [Read more...]
A Writer’s Prayer
I wrote a Writer's Christmas Prayer as part of an assignment for my local writers' group. Our homework was to create a fiction/nonfiction story or poem to answer the question: What do I want as a writer for Christmas? Our inspiration included all sorts of gift ideas for writers. Thought you may want to see a few of the ones that were fun and stood out for me: Jane Austen Socks - so fun! Antique Style Wood Folding Travel Writing Lap Desk - so cool! Go Away I'm Writing Tee Shirt - brought a smile to my face But I digress...or I will be wishful shopping all afternoon. Back to my writing assignment. I was at first going to explore physical gifts like these or even imagine a far away writing retreat but then the muse called me to listen. I wrote a Writers Prayer instead and thought I would share it here today. A Writer’s Prayer Dear Lord, What do I want this year as a writer? What gifts await me in 2017 as a communicator? Where are you inviting me to … [Read more...]
Words of Comfort
Words of Comfort Keeping it simple today by sharing this blessing and comforting words. Life has been rough this past week due to an unexpected death. So I am resting and being with God. Probably writing this post more for me than you today – but sharing my heart with you. I am reminded of the classic story called Footprints in the Sand. I know I am being carried at this time: Footprints in the Sand One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has … [Read more...]
Prayer Ponderings
Prayer Today is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S. Prayer is an essential tool for healthy spirituality and one spiritual practice that we can always learn more about, one to try new approaches and one that continually nourishes our soul. How is your prayer life? Sometimes it is hard to answer that question. I know my intentions for this discipline are much higher, more robust and less me and more God than what I put into practice. Yet I am always seeking new ways to be with God throughout the day, to prayer without ceasing as the Bible directs us, and quiet my inner chatter to hear God. "Prayer is an expression of who we are…. We are a living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment." Thomas Merton I have heard that a Gallop poll revealed in one week more Americans will pray than will exercise, drive a car, have sex and go to work. Nine out of ten people say they do pray. We "say" prayer is important to us, to our faith, for our families and … [Read more...]
Prayer – Why Do We Pray? How To Freshen Your Prayer Life
Prayer - Why Do We Pray? How To Freshen Your Prayer Life Prayer - I have really needed and thought about and lean upon prayer this past week. Prayer is a foundational practice for many of us and for me I know prayer strengthens and guides me. Have you ever thought about why we pray? Why Pray? We pray for many reasons. God invites us into relationship and discussion with him in prayer. Doesn't it just blow your mind that the almighty, ever powerful God, creator of all things, desires to be with little old you and me in an intimate conversation? Wow! How could we turn down this gift of being with God? Prayer gives us the opportunity to praise and glorify God. To stand among others throughout history, those present now, and those yet to come into human form in awe and wonder of something so much greater than ourselves. Prayer changes us - turns our every cells, thoughts, and behaviors around to look, seek, and reach for God. Prayer makes us pliable in the hands of the … [Read more...]
Letting Go – The Prayer of Release
“Let It Go” from the Disney movie “Frozen” was the hit song last year. Everyone was singing the words from youngsters to advertisers and comedians to pastors and flashmobs. Letting go can be a type of prayer too. Often it is called the prayer of release or the prayer of relinquishment. Sounds simple but often, in reality, quite challenging. I turn to God for help with a burden or a concern about a friend/loved one. I worry. I am afraid. Anxiety drives my prayer. I give my distress to God….then take it back. Leaving it in his hands is difficult. What type of things can we let go into God’s care? Our attempt to control Our will Concerns, worries, fears Physical and emotional burdens, life circumstances, discernment and distractions Friends and family Attachments that come between us and God When trying to let go in a prayer, I come to God, quiet myself, offer my prayer, often picturing placing the concern into his hands. But after a few minutes or hours, I … [Read more...]
Rediscovering a Treasure – A Diary of Private Prayer
My mornings are blessed lately by rereading a classic – A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie. First published in 1936, A Diary of Private Prayer remains a devotional masterpiece with more than a million copies in print. To be honest, this old book has been sitting on my shelf untouched for quite awhile. I don’t remember buying it. I even don’t know what made me find it a couple of weeks ago and put it by my Bible. This last week its words just called to me to open it and I was amazed and taken in by its wisdom. Each prayer captures my deepest desire to love God more. His language is a beautiful devotional testament to his love for God. Each day has two pages, one titled Morning and the other Evening and there are 31 chapters for each of the days of a month. The language is old – lots of “thees, thines and thous and didst” but the meaning is lovely. I simply translate them in my heart and mind to “you” and “did.” This morning I read one aloud twice – once with the archaic … [Read more...]
A Collection of Prayers and Quotes about Prayer
I leave for a seven day retreat on Sunday and have been prayerfully pondering my “intention” - my deepest desire for this time with God. Christian Valters Painters in her new and wonderful book, The Soul of a Pilgrim, recommends: “As a way of naming the grace you seek for this time, I intite you to open yourself to receive a seven word prayer to carry with you... Let this evolve over several days, sitting with whether the words that have emerged feel right for you.” Here is my seven word prayer that have formed within me for this retreat: “Deepen within me Your life and way.” Pondering prayer and allowing its words to seep within the crevices of my soul reminded me of several of my favorite quotes about prayer and favorite prayers. I copied the following down in my journal to nourish me next week on my path into the heart of God. God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say them. Unknown The value of persistent prayer is not that he will hear us . . . … [Read more...]