Here is your invitation to retreat – Dear Beloved Child of God Your presence is requested in my Presence. You are invited to come away with me. This time is my gift to you – being together with your Creator, Savior, and Spirit. This time is also my summons, a necessity for your soul-health. Come. Be. Retreat. The spiritual practice of going on retreat is a discipline I have experienced and believe is one of the most essential tools for nurturing my spirit. I have written about this practice in the past on several blog posts such as How to Prepare Your Heart for Spiritual Retreat and 5 Ways Spiritual Retreats Transform Your Life. I even wrote a book called Spiritual Retreats in response to a friend's questions about my practice. I was thrilled to hear about a new book on this topic by one of my favorite authors. What a great combination! Ruth Haley Barton just released her latest title: Invitation to Retreat – the Gift and Necessity of Time Away … [Read more...]
Praying When You Don’t Like What You See – Guest Post – Kelly O’Dell Stanley
As we continue to explore the spiritual practice of prayer this year, this month the word "difficult" frames our prayers. If you missed last week's post, you may want to check it here. I have so enjoyed bringing some different voices to Healthy Spirituality through guest posts. I am delighted to introduce you to my friend, Kelly O'Dell Stanley. We met at a writers conference eons ago- we were both very green as writers - and I have been so blessed to watch her now blossom into a published writer and writer conference speaker. Be sure to check out her books and her blog! Here is a little more about Kelly: Kelly O’Dell Stanley is the author of Praying Upside Down and Designed to Pray. A graphic designer who writes (or is it a writer who designs?), she's also a redhead who’s pretty good at controlling her temper, a believer in doing everything to excess, and a professional wrestler of doubt and faith. She blogs at kellyostanley.com and calls small-town Indiana her … [Read more...]
Making Prayer Too Difficult
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...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in August
August Monthly Musings August? Already? The older I get, the faster time flies. And summer races by the quickest. Another great reason for taking the time each month to pause, remember and behold the past weeks and tuck into our hearts all of life's sparkle and lessons. How are you living a reflective life? Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musing Journal. You can use anything, scraps of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or if you want to click the button at the end of this post to get a FREE copy of my one-sheet Monthly Musing handout. What I Learned in … [Read more...]
Lessons from Spending Time with God on Summer Adventures
I learned many lessons from spending time with God this summer. I journaled this morning that I feel so blessed, grateful and busy. I am overwhelmed both by God's goodness and all the fullness he is pouring into my heart right now. I also feel like I've been thrown into a rushing river, not drowning, but being pushed along in unpredictable, wild rapids – exhilarating joy accompanied by exhausting journey. Remember the poem – A Bike Ride with God. Here is the link to when I shared it previously. It's a great story and to reread once again. Yes, this is exactly how I am feeling today, and God is leading, I am pedaling. What am I learning spiritually in the midst of this craziness? Surprisingly I am hearing God, seeing him in these experiences and finding lessons, especially in prayer. Time with God Praying with Purpose Dialogue prayer took form in my journal while I was on my 8-day silent retreat in early July. Dialogue prayer reflects the basic definition of prayer – a … [Read more...]
10 Simple Ways to Strengthen Your Prayer Life – Guest Post Rachel Larkin
We have been exploring the spiritual practice of prayer throughout 2018. I invited fellow writer Rachel Larkin to share her thoughts on ways to strengthen your prayer life. So glad to have you here, Rachel! Rachel Larkin is an author, speaker, chartered accountant and home-school mum. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and their three young adult sons. She is the author of Simple Prayer: The Guide for Ordinary People Seeking the Extraordinary https://www.rachellarkin.com/book/simple-prayer/ . She has a passion to see believers growing in faith and prayer as well as developing their potential for Jesus. She blogs at https://www.rachellarkin.com/. To find out more on seeing God turn up in your daily life, Rachel has a free eBook available for download - The Untold Story: 7 Steps to Seeing God in the Midst of your Real Messy Life https://www.rachellarkin.com/book/untold-story/ Thank you for sharing your words and wisdom with us: 10 Simple Ways to Strengthen Your … [Read more...]
Intercessory Prayer – Praying for Others – Even the Difficult Ones
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
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...]