contemplative prayer, journaling and the upper room living prayer center october 22, 2013

Contemplative Prayer, Journaling andThe Upper Room Living Prayer Center

October 22, 2013

InterpreterA Ministry of United Methodist Communications

Hosts

The Rev. Tom Albin The Rev. Kathy Noble


•The Upper Room, www.upperroom.org

• Interpreter Magazine, www.interpretermagazine.org

•Webinars and other resources, www.umc.org/pray

“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”


Participants

The Rev. Daniel Wolpert

The Rev. Judy Shepherd

Migdiel Pérez


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Conversation 1:

Why Pray?


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Why Pray?•Migdiel Pérez, director, Living Prayer

Center

Prayer is connecting with God, it gives me spiritual energy to live my life

Intercessory prayer is my favorite way to pray

Prayer journal with date of the request and date of the answer

Helps us remember the faithfulness of God as we review it


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Why Pray?•Judy Shepherd, RN, pastor,

Jennings Chapel UMC, Northport, Ala.

Prayer is our primary way to connect with God.

It includes listening and silence.

Example: holding hands with God as I walk through the day

Experience: Tongsung Kido (Korean way to pray aloud and altogether


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Why Pray?•Daniel Wolpert, author, pastor

and director, Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing

An active relationship with God

Example: married couple who communicate daily about all aspects of life

Experience: “people are hungry for a deeper life of prayer and encounter with the living God”


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Conversation 2:

Contemplative Prayer

and Journaling


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Contemplative Prayer•Creates a deeper awareness of:

Self

God

•Increases our attentiveness to God

•Contemplation, meditation and centering prayer are related means to an authentic life in GodInterpreter

A Ministry of United Methodist Communications

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Contemplative Prayer•The Lord’s Prayer can be

Recitation without contemplation; or,

Deeply contemplative

The attention, intention, and practice makes all the difference


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Contemplative Prayer•Why the growing interest?

Work of the Holy Spirit

Spiritual hunger

Need to recovery from the self-centeredness of Modernism

Other


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Prayer & Journaling•Another ancient practice gaining renewed interest

•Honesty is essential

•Find a teacher/mentor/guide

•Writing in the presence of God is a prayerful act


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Prayer & Journaling•My journal is my prayer.

•I experience God as I write.

•Sometimes I write to God, sometimes I write with God, sometimes God writes to me.

•I journal regularly — it is a means of grace — one among many.


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Discussion•These practices help us to bring our whole self to a Holy God.

•Diversity is a result of the creativity of God, explore it and enjoy it.

•Focus on God, relationship and attentiveness are essential.

•Answers and insight follow.InterpreterA Ministry of United Methodist Communications

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Discussion•Engage your whole self: body, mind and spirit

•Gratitude

•Breath in the love and life of God, breath out anxiety, fear, and doubt


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Conversation 3:

The Living Prayer Center of The Upper Room


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Living Prayer Center•Exists to help people learn and practice intercessory prayer

•Offers the love of God to all who call

•800 telephone calls per day

•The United Methodist Men an important partner


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Living Prayer Center•Prayer requests come from all over the world via

Letters

Telephone

Worldwide web

•Volunteers participate those ways.

•Volunteers neededInterpreterA Ministry of United Methodist Communications

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Living Prayer Center•We say “living” prayer center because we began as a telephone-based ministry. The connection was “live.”

•The telephone allows volunteers from all over the United States and Canada to pray with the callers from 7 a.m. to 11p.m. (CT)


Prayer Resources — Books

•Daniel Wolpert, Creating a Life with God

•Daniel Wolpert, Leading a Life with God

•Rueben P. Job, et.al, A Guide to Prayer for All Who Walk with God (UR, 2013)

•J. David Muyskens, Sacred Breath: 40 Days of Centering Prayer

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Prayer Resources—Online

•Living Prayer Center: 800-251-2468

•http://prayer-center.upperroom.org/

•http://www.umc.org/pray

•http://bookstore.upperroom.org/

•http://elearning.upperroom.org/

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Living Prayer Center now on Facebook1,578 followers and growing


The Upper Room Living Prayer CenterP. O. Box 340004, Nashville TN 37203-0004

Phone: 877-899-2780, ext. 7215

Fax: 615-340-7523

E-mail: [email protected]

http://prayer-center.upperroom.org/


Next Webinar

“Creating Sacred Spaces and Praying with Our Senses”

Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 PM CST

Register at www.umc.org/pray.

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contemplative prayer, journaling and the upper room living prayer center october 22, 2013

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