Prayer: Our Native Tongue? Our First Language?
"Beginners at prayer --children, new converts -- find it easy. The capacity and impulse to pray both are embedded deep within us. We are made, after all, by God, for God. why wouldn't we pray? It is our native tongue, our first language. We find ourselves in terrible trouble and cry out for help to God. We discover ourselves immensely blessed and cry out our thanks to God. But prayer doesn't stay simple. We spend years slogging through a wilderness of testing and begin to question the childlike simplicities with which we started out. We find ourselves immersed in a cynical generation that corrodes our early innocence with scorn and doubt. Along the way we pick up notions of prayer magic and begin working on slight of hand rituals and verbal incantations that will make life easier. It isn't long before those early simplicities are all tangled up in knots of questions, doubt and superstitions. It happens to all of us. Everyone who prays ends up in some difficulty or other. We need help." Eugene Peterson in Forward of The Soul of Prayer
"The worst sin is prayerlessness." P T Forsyth, The Soul of Prayer
"Prayer is irksome. An excuse to omit it is never unwelcome. When it is over, this casts a feeling of relief and holiday over the rest of the day. We are reluctant to begin. We are delighted to finish. While we are at prayer, but not while we are reading a novel or solving a cross-word puzzle, any trifle is enough to distract us. And we know we are not alone in this. Now the disquieting thing is not simply that we skimp and begrudge the duty of prayer. The really disquieting thing is it should have to be numbered among duties at all. For we believe that we were created "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." And if the few, the very few, minutes we now spend in conversation with God are a burden to us rather than a delight, what then?" C S Lewis, Letters to Malcolm
Scripture Study
Isaiah 30:19; 55:6; 58:9; 65:24
Matthew 6:6,7; 7:7; 18:19; 21:22
Ephesians 3:14-21
Colossians 1:9-14
Isaiah 30:19; 55:6; 58:9; 65:24
Matthew 6:6,7; 7:7; 18:19; 21:22
Ephesians 3:14-21
Colossians 1:9-14
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit. Psalm 51:10-12
2 comments:
Well All , you got to Love CS Lewis!!!! I have been reading an abridged version of "The Pilgrim's Progress" It was blowing my mind. It reminds me of C.S. Lewis.
When reading Colossians I could not help but think of all the guys in The Pilgrim's Progress.Just think about these words: Knowlege of his will; Spiritual Wisdon; Bearing Fruit; Glorious might; Endurance & Patience; inheritance; rescued; dominion of darkness; Kindgom of the Son Of Love; and forgiveness. What kind of story could you write using these words?
The other verses reminds us God will answer or prayers. Isaiah 30:19 and 58:9 and 55:6 all talk about asking God for what we want and he will give it to us.
Then verse 65:24 says before we ask he will answer.
Interesting!!!!!!
Matthew 6:6 tells us how to pray alone.
Well, you guys read the verses and you know all this. I have been trying to pray more and I've been more aware of what I pray for. I can see things starting to happen in my life. I am applying for a job in tallahassee and it looks good. Would I have gotten the job anyway or has my awareness of prayer allowed my Spirit to breath so my Father in Heaven can give me what I ask for? Man I love Bible Study. I love to take my dog on a walk and just start talking and praying. I don't know who I'm talking to but I have a conversation with a voice in my head. Try it. In you car alone. Just talk about what is on your mind and say it out loud. See if you get a thought and go with it. Am I crazy or does this happen to anyone else? I know you guy's will tell me the truth.
In Christ,
Donna
Carol says...The bible verses for this session go along very well with the sermon Jim gave this past Sunday. He spoke from Jer.25:3-7 and Heb.11:13-16. Persistently with creativity and anticipation. All these are aspects of what Jeremiah did every day with the Lord's word. Jeremiah struggled to carry the "burden" of the Lord's words. But for 23 years nobody listened. Yet Jeremiah continued. He saw clearly that horrible things were coming. He rebuked evil even though he was very frightened himself.Even in difficulties he anticipated God's word.Anticitpation gave depth to his life and even a lightness amid turmoil.Not just getting through with the ritual prayers but expecting persistently the enlarging of his spirit through God's word. Jeremiah was committed to purpose that never lost it's vibrance. He lived to be 81. Some one has stated "die young as late as you can." Think about that. Don't start out the day in dread.Begin the day in anticipation of God's word to you. Listening and speaking persistently Gods words. Steadfast love of God lasts forever, mercies never end. They are NEW every morning. Not dreary repition but regularity of the beauty of God's words. Surprise in the capacity and energy to return to the same activity, such as prayer, for a life time and still come relentlessly and curiously. Load up early with what God calls us to do. Come back everyday energetically and persistently. Never lose hope on God bringing completion to what he has promised. Not dreay repetition of dull duty but returning to the task with energy and excitement.
These are from notes I took during Jim's sermon Sunday the 23rd.
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