The Discipline of Prayer

I recently shared with a group of folks that I can tell when I have let my prayer life slip to
the background. I can tell because I can feel that I am out of sorts, not as focused on my day, I can tell that something is just not right. And if this goes on for a while life can become discombobulated.

In Acts we read that the leaders of the church dedicated themselves to two things: prayer and preaching the Gospel. It would seem that these two things go together. For followers of Christ there is encouragement to take on a disciplined prayer life as well. Jesus modeled this for us often - taking time even amidst the busyness of life to go off by himself and pray. Luther is quoted as saying, "The busier my life becomes, the more time I set aside for prayer," or something like that.

Taking up the practices of the faith is important as Followers of the Way. Craig Dykstra once wrote:

Christian practices are not activities we do to make something spiritual happen in our lives. Nor are they duties we undertake to be obedient to God. Rather they are patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us. They are places where the power of God is experienced. In the end, these are not ultimately our practices but forms of participation in the practice of God.

When I am praying regularly I am more in tune with the world around me, the mission and ministry God has set aside for First Lutheran Church, the spiritual needs presented in the other and aware of the grace of God active in our world.

For you, prayer is a conduit to these realities as well. When you engage in praying for someone else, your family, the world and sitting in silence I guarantee that your vision will change. When we remember to pray daily we enter into the world as God's presence, God's hands ready to participate in "the practice of God."

Another aspect of the discipline of prayer is praying with someone else. When I reach out and hold the hands of the other and join in prayer with them - I am very aware of Jesus presence in that moment. Whether they are struggling with family issues or preparing to die this faithful act of physical and spiritual connection changes the world.

When you do this, you change the world.

If you would like to learn about other ways of praying the Upper Room has some great resources.