Are you guilty of making prayer too difficult? I know I do at times.  Okay, most times. I was thinking the other day how I have been walking with you this entire year, discovering, exploring, and tasting prayer.  Though the adventure has been rich and full, how am I going to remember to "do" all these prayers, these wonderful "techniques" and of course, do them correctly so I earn an A in the course? I know. I know. I know that isn't what God wants. Me neither. In September, a word to frame our traveling with prayer will be "difficult." Today is reflecting on making prayer too difficult and next week will be when it is too difficult to pray. Earlier in the summer, I updated a free prayer resources called "The Prayer Tool Box. " This pdf has lots of digital and analog ideas for spending your time with God.  Click the button at the bottom of this post to get yours if you didn't get one in June. Making Prayer Too Difficult K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Sometimes the best … [Read more...]

As we continue our exploration of prayer this year, last week we began exploring intercessory prayer or praying for others. I have been rereading and pondering Phillip Yancey's book on Prayer during this year. Praying for others affects us in powerful ways as much as it affects others.  Here are some of his thoughts on Intercessory Prayer: "When I pray for another person, I am praying for God to open my eyes so that I can see that person as God does, and then enter into the stream of love that God already directs towards that person….Bringing them into God's presence changes my attitude toward them and ultimately affects our relationship…Prayer allows me to see others as God sees them and me: as uniquely flowed and uniquely gifted bearers of God's image. I begin seeing them through Jesus' eyes, as beloved children who the Father longs to embrace." Nice image to hold when praying for others. But sometimes intercessory prayer is difficult: "Frank Laubach…describes how he sought to … [Read more...]

Intercessory prayer is simply praying for others. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote "Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual and the fellowship must enter every day." This type of prayer is a form of loving the other. I imagine lifting people into God's light and love. This powerful prayer practice can be as a pointed, persistent pleading on behalf of someone else for a deep need. Some intercessory prayers are general: “Lord I pray for those forgotten or those suffering in such and such country.” Or they can be specific: “Lord draw Tom closer to you and give him strength to get through this difficult time.” Often I simply say, “Lord you know best what she needs today. Help her know your love.” Jane Vennard teaches about another form of intercessory prayer is called “arrow prayers.” It is like holding a bow, pulling the string back, and letting the arrow fly. This form is spontaneous — the times that prayers for others are pulled right out of me, such … [Read more...]

One type of prayer we haven't discussed yet in our pilgrimage into the different types of prayer this summer is the prayer of adoration. How do we response to God's unending, outrageous, overwhelming outpouring of love? God who pursues each of us as if there were only one of us. The One who knows our name. Knows the number of hairs on our head. Who loves us so much he sent is only son to save us. How else can we respond but by adoration? "Adoration is the spontaneous yearning of the heart to worship, honor magnify and bless God…In one sense, adoration is not a special form of prayer, for all true prayer is saturated with it, It is the air in which prayer breathes, the sea in which prayer swims…We ask for nothing but to cherish him. We focus on nothing but his goodness." Richard Foster. How to Build Adoration into our Prayers As ego-centered children of God, we must intentionally learn, then practice the prayer of adoration. Like reminding our kids to say please and thank … [Read more...]

We are exploring types of prayer in July and August here on Healthy Spirituality and today I am excited to discuss one of my "go-to" kinds of prayer – one that brings me closer to God and has transformed me spiritually. The Prayer of Examen What is the prayer of examen? This prayer is a prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction. With this prayer we clearly discover God's blessing in our ordinary life. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. It originated with St. Ignatius. The simple steps of this prayer are: Quiet yourself. And allow yourself to relax into God’s loving arms. Some people imagine sitting on the sofa with God. Ask God to be present with you. Reflect on the past 24 hours, asking yourself several questions. My favorite questions to ask are: What am I most grateful for? What am I least grateful for? When did I … [Read more...]

Do imagination and prayer work together? God has given us the gift of imagination. Seeing beyond what is tangible. Leaping into a world of potential opportunity. Crossing back through time seeing events like we are there or transforming ourselves into bible characters and witnesses to bible stories. Dreams, plans, hopes all begin with imagination – we ask in wonder:  what could be?  What if? How would living this way appear in my life?  Imagination is freedom to see beyond our ordinary moments into grand possibilities. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!” Dr. Seuss Imagination cultivates ideas and dreams. I had a powerful experience of this right after we moved to the small town that is still home today. As a nurse, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next in my career. I attended a nursing seminar where one of the activities was writing out in great detail what my ideal job would be. I had fun dreaming and … [Read more...]