introduction to prayer dwight judy garrett-evangelical theological seminary
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to Prayer
Dwight Judy
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
Active & Dispositional PrayerPaul 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 onDaily 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. BenedictFifth Century
Opus Dei – daily office of prayer
Opus Manuum – manual labor
Lectio Divina – prayerful reading of scripture
Lectio DivinaReading – 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 & PrayerfulnessPraying 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 DivinaReading – 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