Spiritual Formations: Prayer

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

Key points

In the book “With: Reimagining the way you relate to God”, Skye Jethani explores the ways we have tried to relate with God.

In some cases, people relate to God as if He is lording it over us, while others try to relate to God by service and works.

Neither of these ways, however, acknowledge the invitation to live life with God.

Some people relate to God as if He is lording it over us, while others try to relate to God by service and works.

One of the main concepts of living with God that is explored in this book is an encouragement to reimagine prayer.

To experience prayer not simply as a means of communicating to God or serving God, but rather as a way of communion with God.

Being with God in all of life, this is the idea of being in constant prayer with God that Paul speaks of in Thessalonians 5:17.

Brother Lawrence (Lived as a lay Carmelite monk in France in the 1600s) was able to discover this close communion with God even while he was serving in a busy kitchen in a monastery.

Being with God in all of life, this is the idea of being in constant prayer with God.

His experience of practicing the presence of God is recorded in a little book of letters he wrote to the Abbott, who noticed the calm nature of Brother Lawrence and asked him to share his experience.

It is this type of prayer we will seek to nurture as one of our spiritual formation practices.

As we go about our ordinary activities today let’s try to talk with God and ask for His peace to dwell within us.

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Series written by Kath Henry

Originally published as Spiritual Formation – Prayer

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