Prayer lessons and heritage
I checked out a book at our church library over the summer. Celebration of Discipline, The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster. He first wrote it in the late 70s, and it's one of those books that I always hear that we should read but I never have.
This particular copy was donated to the library by an elderly couple from our church who have now passed away from this life. It was very sweet to see their names hand-written on the inside cover, and also to see that either she or he had underlined several points in the book. It was so neat to see what this precious son or daughter of our Lord, who were lifelong followers of Christ, thought was important as they read through the book. And it led to wondering how they might have grown as a result even though this copy was a "Special 20th Anniversary Edition" printed in 1998, when this couple might have been content to live out the rest of their years practicing what they already knew. Instead, they were seeking even closer relationships with God.
When my own Grandmother, Virginia Giles (isn't that a beautiful name?), died a few years ago, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren participated in the sad exercise of choosing what things of hers we wanted. I requested her Bible. It is a King James version, soft cover that I can still picture spread across her lap on those mornings when I would wake up on her couch after spending the night when I was a little girl. There she'd be reading it. The book is full of her notes written in her hand-writing that resembles my mother and sister's printing. I don't read that Bible very often, however. I just can't do King James very well, preferring my New Living Translation or even the New International version of the Bible. Still, looking at that Bible reminds of how much it was the rock and the sword that guided her through a very long life with lots of heartache, hard work ... and joy.
So back to the Foster book. Here are some of the underlines in the beginning chapter about prayer.
We can determine if we are praying correctly if the requests come to pass.
One of the most critical aspects in learning to pray for others is to get in contact with God so that his life and power can flow through us into others.
We begin praying for others by first quieting our fleshly activity and listening to the silent thunder of the Lord of hosts.
Listening to the Lord is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing necessary for successful intercession.
We must hear, know and obey the will of God before we pray it into the lives of others.
Great miracles are possible through faith the size of a tiny mustard seed.
If we have God-given compassion and concern for others, our faith will grow and strengthen as we pray.
There are many more underlined points throughout the book on the chapters on fasting, simplicity and study.
It's high time I return this book to the library (I'm thankful for extended grace on overdue books) but I wanted to write this post first. I've since bought my own copy of Foster's important book.
And let us pray.
Posted in: on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at at 8:11 AM
