I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24 Prayer awakens us. Prayer is a source of conscious contact with the One who is Life itself. So how is it that prayer is also the experience of dying? What might it mean that prayer leads us to fall, like a kernel of wheat, into the ground … [Read more...] about Dying as Prayer
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Honesty as Prayer
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Psalm 51: 1,6 Prayer is not a performance. It is not an attempt to impress God. Prayer is honest communication. Transparency is the cornerstone of intimacy in any … [Read more...] about Honesty as Prayer
Confession as Prayer
I said, O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you. Psalm 41:4 Prayer is sometimes confession. It is the acknowledgment of our short comings, our missing the mark, our moral failings. Confession is also the acknowledgment of our longing to change, our longing to be healed and our longing to be set free to love God and others. When we confess to God, we throw ourselves on … [Read more...] about Confession as Prayer
Forgiving as Prayer
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:33-34 Forgiving others is a form of prayer. It is not easy for us to receive forgiveness. And it is not easy for us to forgive. Our tendency is to want to hold on to our … [Read more...] about Forgiving as Prayer
Pouring Out Our Hearts as Prayer
Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 When we listen with an open heart to the outpouring of another person’s heart, something happens. A bond forms. A closeness grows. And out of this relationship healing begins to take place. But sharing one’s heart requires trust in the other person. It requires trust that the other … [Read more...] about Pouring Out Our Hearts as Prayer
Crying as Prayer
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. Psalm 86:5-7 Sometimes prayer is a cry from our heart. It is a raw pleading for mercy in times of trouble. There may be times of trouble when we find ourselves thinking, “I can’t go to God … [Read more...] about Crying as Prayer
Listening as Prayer
The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. Love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 30: 14, 19 Many of us have only known prayer to be a one way conversation. We talk and God listens. But prayer is meant to be a two way conversation. Sometimes we talk. And sometimes we listen. It is true that the biblical text urges us … [Read more...] about Listening as Prayer
Experiencing Solitude as Prayer
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14: 22-23 Sometimes prayer is a kind of solitude. It is allowing ourselves to be alone with God. According to the Gospels, Jesus went out of his way to find solitude. Sometimes he got up … [Read more...] about Experiencing Solitude as Prayer
Receiving Grace as Prayer
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 Prayer is receiving mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. This … [Read more...] about Receiving Grace as Prayer
Receiving a New Heart as Prayer
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 Prayer is allowing God to radically change us. God is the One we speak to, listen to, worship, serve and rest with as we pray. Over time, in these encounters, God begins to change our heart. Our heart of stone is softened, broken open and replaced with a … [Read more...] about Receiving a New Heart as Prayer