When do you pray?
Prayer seems to flow out of me when I take a long walk. As you may know from following along on this 90-Day Together, I am practicing a “Daily Dose of Hebrew” and a “Daily Dose of Greek” as my 90-Day Goal—short snippets of scripture that naturally bring me into a place of prayer and conversation with God’s word. I have talked with many of you for whom prayer is challenging and is either a NOW rhythm or 90-Day Goal.
The prayer-filled life is one of the spiritual streams of living water that Richard Foster names in his book Streams of Living Water. This prayer-filled life is one of contemplation, resting the mind on the words of scripture and abiding in the presence of the living God. This spiritual tradition is sometimes referred to as the contemplative faith, a discipline of being present with God as we remove distractions from our lives.
Tip 79: Practice Presence.
Some of the most famous contemplatives are the desert fathers, monks who lived completely alone in stark conditions. The practice included walking out of the ways of the world into a place where the heart and mind could be attuned to the voice of God. This is so difficult in our modern life of mobile phones, smart watches, and notifications. The contemplative life is one that we often practice on a retreat or dedicated time away. For me connecting with nature helps me to get into the frame of mind to practice presence with God.
There is no question that silence, solitude and prayer bring value to our lives. Maybe it comes naturally to us or maybe it is a stretch. As one of the 6 streams of living water, it is worth experimenting with as you practice your 90-Day Goal. Last week I talked about the Christian Mystics and my favorite insight from Julian of Norwich.
Another Christian mystic whose writing is so beautiful comes from this stream of prayer and contemplation. Her name is Teresa of Avila and she describes contemplation as “an intimate sharing between friends.”
What time of day or practice works for you and God to be together in prayer? How can you practice presence as you pursue the life God is calling you to live as you pursue your 90-Day Goal?
Please send me your questions, challenges, and suggestions as we continue in the 90-Day Goal Together. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing the journey with you.
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