Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Foster [on] Prayer

Prayer is one of the spiritual disciplines I believe no matter how hard one works at it, it never is perfected. There are times I pray that I feel so inadequate. And yet I am asked to pray at gatherings for various reasons. In recent weeks, I've been led to become more disciplined in my life of prayer. Authors like E.M. Bounds automatically come to mind. And then I remembered a book I have on my shelf by Richard Foster (Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home). Foster always gives me something to think about. And as I read this book again (and more importantly focus on what Scripture says regarding prayer), I pray I will be challenged again. In the next few weeks, I hope you'll read my reflections on prayer. And I pray you'll be encouraged to strengthen your own prayer life.

"Healthy prayer necessitates frequent experiences of the common, earthy, run-of-the-mill variety. Like walks, and talks, and good wholesome laughter. Like work in the yard, and chitchat with neighbors, and washing windows. Like loving our spouse, and playing with our kids, and working with our colleagues. To be spiritually fit to scale the Himalayas of the spirit, we need regular exercise in the hills and valleys of ordinary life."
- Richard Foster

Any thoughts on prayer?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brother, I am challenged once again to reach deeper inside of myself than is comfortable. Do I believe in the power of prayer? You bet! Do I use this belief as stongly as I should? No! I try to pray for the things that matter most in the everyday life of my family and friends. For myself, prayer is something that I do in asking for strength and guidance, never for personal gain. I believe that hard work will bring just rewards, God helps those who help themselves. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yes, I have that book, and have read it. No, I most certainly do not have prayer mastered, nor is it something to be mastered. It's something almost like we participating in and we're in over our heads. Well, that's my thought, but then it makes it a God-thing, along with us, of course.

I can hardly grasp the quote but I agree with it. I would say very true, though hardly knowing of what I was speaking.

Thanks, Crowm.