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...]
Have You Practiced the Covenant Prayer?
In the series as we explore different types of prayers, I have introduced prayer practices that are part of my regular time with God. Ones I do frequently like the prayer of examen and breath prayers. But this week I am featuring one I didn't know much about until I researched it more. The Covenant Prayer. I think many of us may have tried versions of this prayer but if you are like me, I never dug deeper into the details about it. The Covenant Prayer In Richard Foster's book, Prayer – he gives this prayer a full chapter. A covenant prayer is in essence the prayer we may say at baptism, confirmation, or an ordination/consecration. This prayer bubbles up inside my heart often on silent retreats too as a recommitment to God. We make a covenant with God and pledge our obedience to him. Our full obedience. Read and ponder this paragraph from Richard Foster: "We respond to the heavenly overtures of God's love first through the Covenant of Holy Obedience. Without reservation we … [Read more...]
The Prayer of Examen
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...]
Tips for Using Breath Prayers
This summer Healthy Spirituality has been and will continue to explore different approaches to prayer. With 2018 being the year of prayer here on this blog and in my faith community it is the perfect time to try a new way of praying and opening our heart to God. One of my favorite ways to quiet my soul to hear God is through the use of breath prayers. What are Breath Prayers? The Bibles teaches us to “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) How do we do this? A breath prayer is a very short prayer that can be said in one breath and repeated throughout the day. It is an ancient form of prayer, found in writings as early as the second century. The prayer communicates a sense of nearness with trust and dependency on God. Perhaps the best-known breath prayer is called the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” This prayer had its origin within the Christian tradition of the East and can be traced back to the sixth century. At the … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings –What I Learned in June
June Monthly Musings What did you learn more about, observed, pondered and stretched your soul and heart with in June? When I announced last month I was only going to post here once a week several readers supported and understood but ask hopefully that I would continue these monthly musing posts. The answer obviously is YES! These are fun and in reality helpful for me to pause, take a deep breath and assess where I am in aligned with God, his purpose, voice and will. 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, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep … [Read more...]
Imagination and Prayer
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...]
Prayer: What Should We Pray For?
Prayer: what should we pray for? Ever stop to consider what you pray for? In prayer we can ask God for anything and all things. The list is amazing and quite lengthy once you pay attention and name all the ways. As we journey together in this summer pilgrimage of prayer, knowing the landmarks and the privileges of prayer inspires us in dark times and brings us joy when we dance in the light. I explored how we pray last year with this post. Prayer: What Should We Pray For A great book on prayer written by Philip Yancey is called Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? In this book he has a chapter on what should we pray for. Here are some of his ideas: Our Heart's Desire – "God invites us to ask plainly for what we need." I know often people don't know how to pray or what to ask God for until they wrestle with the words to name their deepest desire. Identifying our core wants, needs, and dreams we can approach God with honesty, authenticity, and assurance. God already knows … [Read more...]
Pilgrimage with Prayer
What do you think when you hear the words - Pilgrimage with Prayer? Pilgrimage with prayer is the theme for this summer here on Healthy Spirituality. We are all on a journey in life – and I am literally taking several trips this summer and hope to take you as a reader on the path through various prayer practices in this season. “If we truly want to know the secret of soulful travel, we need to believe that there is something sacred waiting to be discovered in virtually every journey.” Phil Cousineau What is a Pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is an outward journey that transforms our inner journey. To me a pilgrimage is to look at ourselves and what surrounds us with new eyes, to be changed whether we travel around the world or into our own backyards. Some pilgrimages are to well-known sacred places. Others could be more personal – a trip to Ground Zero or to a parent’s grave. A writer may visit a famous author’s home and see where they wrote their words. To live each moment … [Read more...]