Introduction to Prayer Dwight Judy Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Active & Dispositional Prayer Paul Konkler, Don’t You Belong to Me? A Basic Introduction to the Spiritual Life (New York: Paulist Press, 1979) Human action – “I” address God. Adoration Confession Petition Intercession Thanksgiving Praise God’s action – “I” dispose myself to listen for God Lectio Divina Prayer of Recollection Contemplative or meditative prayer Centering Prayer Jesus Prayer Praise

Prayer of Recollection We call this prayer “recollection” because the soul collects its faculties together in order to be within oneself with one’s God. Teresa of Avila

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Prayer Why do I Meditate? Because I am a Christian. Because I am a preacher of the Word. Because I need a firm discipline of prayer. Because I need help against the unseemly haste and disquiet that also endanger my work as pastor.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Prayer Necessity of prayer Our first offering of the day to God Danger to pastor losing personal devotion with duties of sermon preparation Blending intercession and meditative prayer Allowing Holy Spirit to pray with us

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Daily Meditation The Word of Scripture should never stop sounding in your ears and working in you all day long, just like the words of someone you love.... If your thoughts stray, while meditating, to people near to you or those about whom you are concerned, then keep them there. That is the right place for intercession.

Rule of St. Benedict Fifth Century Opus Dei – daily office of prayer Opus Manuum – manual labor Lectio Divina – prayerful reading of scripture

Lectio Divina Reading – lectio Meditating – meditatio Praying – oratio Contemplating – contemplatio

Lectio Divina Seeking the “message” for us today – the WORD behind the words of Scripture. DABHAR

Images from The Cloud of Unknowing Beneath you and external to you lies the entire created universe. Yes, even the sun, the moon and the stars. They are fixed above you, splendid in the firmament, yet they cannot compare to your exalted dignity as a human being. By nature you are gifted with three marvelous spiritual faculties, Mind, Reason, and Will, and two secondary faculties, Imagination and Feeling. There is nothing above you in nature except God....

Images from The Cloud of Unknowing When you are reading books about the interior life and come across any references to yourself, understand it to mean your whole self as a human being of spiritual dignity and not merely your physical body. As a person you are related to everything in creation through the medium of your faculties.

Prayer & Prayerfulness Praying in the Holy Spirit Prayer tends to follow instructions… prayerfulness does not… Prayerfulness…is accepting without being passive, is grateful without giving up. It is more willing to stand in the mystery, to tolerate ambiguity and the unknown. (Larry Dossey, Healing Words, the power of prayer and the practice of medicine, p. 24)

Prayer & Prayerfulness Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever!

Lectio Divina Reading – lectio Meditating – meditatio Praying – oratio Contemplating – contemplatio

Lectio Divina Reading – lectio – senses Meditating – meditatio – mental Praying – oratio – emotional Contemplating – contemplatio – outstrips the faculties

Acts 3:4-8