PRAYER | Contemplative Prayer

  Richard Foster 

Richard Foster's seminal book, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, takes the reader through the various expressions of prayer with a number of anecdotes, Biblical references and life testimonies of some of the saints of old. His intimate literary style helps one grasp and understand the multi faceted landscape of this beautiful pursuit.

When he talks about the different types of prayer in Part 2 of the book he takes us ever deeper into that intimate dialogue with God. He reserves the most awe inspiring manifestation till last as he opens up the concept of Contemplative Prayer or Prayer that transcends the need for words. He helps with the understanding of it by saying:

Contemplative Prayer immerses us into the silence of God. How desperately we in the modern world need this wordless baptism! We have become, as the early Church father Clement of Alexandria says, like old shoes – all worn out except for the tongue. We live in a wordy world with our sophisticated high-tech telecommunication systems. We now have the dubious distinction of being able to communicate more and say less than any civilisation in history.

As a major part of the ministry of Ultimate Hope is to those that are in the eventide of life it was so encouraging to read the last paragraph of this important chapter and to find there, reference to the importance of this type of prayer for this slice of society. It cannot be overstated just how vital this is when words fail and where just being in the intimate presence of God, where He immerses us in His powerful silence and we can be seen for who we are, is more than enough. Richard Foster's last paragraph reads like this:

One final note of encouragement about Contemplative Prayer. One of its great values comes when we are at the sunset of life and our rational faculties begin to falter. A time may come when we are no longer able to utter words, but – and here is the glory – we are still able to pray, to pray without words. At the end of life, as at the beginning, we find ourselves, in the words of Gerhard Tersteegen, ‘looking at God, who is ever present, and letting Him look on us’.


Italics - Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home (1992, ISBN 0-06-062846-4) Pages 164 - 176

Roger - Manchester - UK

HYMNS | My Jesus I love Thee

William R. Featherston

There have been a number of beautiful Love songs  written to express our adoration of Jesus our Saviour. This hymn by William R. Featherston ranks as one of the most poignant and moving. At around his 16th. birthday he wrote a poem expressing his love and devotion to the one he had given his life to just one year earlier. His poem was later to become the much loved hymn, My Jesus I love Thee. Featherston died tragically at the young age of 26 and it is of course conjecture what other wonderful hymns would have flowed from his pen had he lived longer.

The hymn has become a firm favourite in the Salvation Army and the International Staff Songsters bring a deep meditative flavour to this beautiful performance. 

It is a hymn that demands a great deal of attention when listening to it and I have found it to be a powerful source of meditation that leads me into prayer.

PRAYER | Jesus raises Us from the Dead

 In the gardens at Waverley Abbey there is a massive stump of a seemingly dead tree. A leafy new shoot is springing from it - a constant reminder that the Messiah was, and is, in the business of making all things new.

God, I yield to You all the parts of my heart and my life that feel cut back like that stump, those places where perhaps I even feel dead. Thank You that You are the resurrection, and that You make me come alive again.

Lectio 365 AM 01/12/2022

PRAYER | Hearers and Doers!

 God, I pray for Your gathered people, whether together on a Sunday, in a book club or Bible study. Help them to be accountable to one another and to encourage each other. Enable them to apply their new learning into their various contexts, to become do-ers of Your word rather than merely acquiring new information.

Jill Weber

Lectio 365, 26/10/2022 AM.

PRAYER | I Need You

Lord Jesus Christ, I am so foolish, give me your wisdom to see and follow your truth.   Lord Jesus Christ, I am so full of guilt and have no peace, but you have died to bring forgiveness and the assurance of heart (part?).  I trust you to be my Savior and by your grace I turn away from my sin. Lord Jesus Christ, I am weak and ruled by sin.   Give me your power and rule in my heart and take charge of my whole life!

A prayer by:

Alistair Begg

PRAYER | Walking In Step

 Jesus, I'm aware that what I identify as the important thing isn't always the most important thing. Help me to walk in step with You today.

Crystal Cryer
Lectio 365 12/09/22 AM

PRAYER | Come Holy Spirit

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light...
Cleanse that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded
Bend that which is inflexible, fire that which is chilled, correct what goes astray...
Grant the reward of virtue, grant the deliverance of salvation, grant eternal joy.

From: Lectio 365 - Source: https://hozana.org/en/prayer/holy-spirit/veni-sancte-spiritus 
Amen

PRAYER | Courage and Determination

Lakes in Switzerland

Father, God I pray for your Church.   As a member of your church I grieve, as you must grieve over the loss of millions of innocent lives who are needlessly murdered  in the mothers womb.

  

Equip your Church with the courage and the determination to let the world know  that we believe we haven't got the right over life and death!   ...

We need the boldness to speak out that we believe unborn babies have as much right to life as we have,   help us to  stand up to this!    We know you are FOR us if we love, fear and obey you.   Father we pray,  open the eyes of the hearts of those who believe they have the right over their body  as they permit  and encourage procedures in which those little bodies are being torn apart.   Open the eyes of people who  are blind to the sins they are committing!  Wake them up as they are waging a war against anyone who opposes them!  Soften their hearts and reawaken their consciences!    Father God,  also wake us up, your Church, to remember that every life is precious to you,  we need to rise up to our conviction and take responsibility to fight against these atrocities before it is too late, I plead, have mercy and help us.  

Amen

Elisabeth Manchester UK

PRAYER | Courage and Wisdom

Park in Greater Manchester

Lord God, I plead for courage to stand to my convictions whatever the cost!  

When we are in danger of caving in under pressure from a secular government.  When laws and political correctness hinder us from helping our fellow beings in distress!   Give me boldness to be "a good Samaritan" without the red tape restraint!   You have made it very clear in your word that you demand obedience.  You are God who is in charge.  You've made the world and all that is in it,  so you know best! 

 

Please help me to clearly know where you want me to draw the line between submission to the government and disobeying your commands!  I need your wisdom!   Thank you Father. 

Amen

Elisabeth Manchester UK

PRAYER | Against Injustice

Which Way?

 Father God, thank you that we are invited to come to you at any moment.  I thank  and praise you for your willingness to listen to us and that You are even delighted when we come!

Lord, today I want to bring to you the deterioration of morality in our country where a person is no longer able to speak out an opinion without risking dire consequences.   I bring to your attention M.M who was fired from her job for declairing her views on family and marriage.

Dear God!  You know the gross injustice of this case which brings free speech into jeopardy!   Show me if there is anything I can do, sign petition or speak out.  Lord God, in your mercy bring justice in such cases!  I love you and thank you. 

Amen. 

Elisabeth Manchester UK 

PRAYER | Trust in God

Switzerland

Because I love you.

And for me it is a necessity of love,

This gift of myself,

This placing of myself in your hands

Without reserve

In boundless confidence

Because you are my Father.

Charles de Foucauld, cited by Desmond Tutu, An African Prayer Book. United Kingdom, Crown Publishing Group, 2009. Mentioned in Lectio 365