Prayer: Part 2

But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. Matthew 6:6

After last weeks post on focusing more on my prayer life, I've done some further research I love research, if you ever need help with research, message me, I'm serious!), read a bunch of books (or am in the process of reading some of them at least) and working on how to be more diligent in my prayer life. Below is a list of some resources I'm using for this journey.


Prayer - 10th Anniversary Edition: Finding the Heart's True Home-According to my Kindle, I'm at 21% completion on this one. This book is trying for me to read and I have to read it in small gaps but it is full of great information!

A set of Prayer Journals  from Val Marie Paper. I've always been a big journaler (yep, not a word, don't care) and enjoy seeing my thoughts written down to meditate on later. From her website, each month has the following sections: 

• The World
• The Nation
• My Loves
• My Family
• My Friends
• Those Hurts
• Personal
• 3 Untitled Sections – Create your own titles (i.e. “Trying to Conceive”, “Businesses”, “Projects”)Answered PrayersScriptureQuotes

Contemplative Prayer (Image Classics)-I'm about halfway through this book and really enjoying it. It is definitely different from most of the books I read since the author, Thomas Merton, was a former Trappist Monk. The reason for reading Thomas Merton is that I see him mentioned so often in other books, that I want to be able to read his words for myself. Also, I get to go visit Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani next year, where he is buried and where he lived. 

Monastic prayer begins not so much with “considerations” as with a “return to the heart,” finding one’s deepest center, awakening the profound depths of our being in the presence of God, who is the source of our being and our life.

Lord, Teach Us To Pray by Andrew Murray. I haven't gotten very far with this one yet. One of the first things I read was 

Lord, teach us to pray.' Yes, to pray. This is what we need to be taught. Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeble child can pray, yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise. It is fellowship with the Unseen and Most Holy One.

I think I'll like this book. 


Come visit other posts at holleygerth.com!

Spiritual Misfit

I have a Kindle and it is always pretty well loaded down with books. Books I've purchased, gifts, as well as books that I have borrowed electronically from my local library. I love doing this because it gives me a chance to try books I might not otherwise have gotten a chance to.



The book Spiritual Misfit was one I actually borrowed a while back, read a few pages, and then returned it. I just couldn't grasp it somehow. I had heard tons of great things about it but somehow just couldn't digest it. 

So a couple of days ago, I saw that it was still sitting in my wish list and decided to try it again.

Yeah...maybe the reason I didn't want to involve myself in it is because I definitely fit into the category of a spiritual misfit. 

I listen to my friends and co-workers expound on their beliefs, the importance of God and Christ, and they are all so passionate. So in love with loving God. They pray, they attend church, go on trips in the name of God, do all of these things, and I'm generally sitting here thinking "okay, soooo what part did I miss? Did I do it wrong?" 

Some of her phrases made me laugh because I had this vivid image in my head of her actions when certain things were brought to her attention, such as when her pastor said that they needed to cultivate a deeper relationship with God and she says 

"Great, I thought as I sank lower in the pew. Like it’s not hard enough to believe in God. Now I actually have to work at connecting with him too? Frankly it was enough of a challenge to cultivate my marriage, a relationship with a real, live, breathing, conversing person who lived in my house."

I picture her slinking down in the pew, throwing her head back like a teenager who was just told that, no they could not go hang out with their friends, and pouted in frustration. 

Faith Focus-Prayer

This is a sort of challenge I am giving myself. I see challenges online all of the time for gratitude, Thanksgiving. I have decided to do a study on prayer. Not just on if prayer works, we know it does, but I sincerely feel like this is an area where I am sorely lacking in discipline with my faith. I need to deepen my relationship with God.

Part of this has come about due to the fact that I am in chronic pain and relying on my faith to see me through it. This isn't always easy, especially in our society that values medicinal or surgical fixes over anything else. And for me, that was my first path. I have visited countless doctors, been prescribed over 20 medication in the last year, visited an acupuncturist, tried meditation, and even saw a vein specialist as a last ditch effort. So far? Nothing. The pain, if anything is getting worse and I started noticing a correlation between my pain increasing, and my practice of my faith decreasing. NOT GOOD!

To start, I am going to make a conscious effort to pray more. Not just at night before I go to sleep, but to put into action a prayer schedule almost (though I typically pray randomly, such as when I'm driving to work).

I am also going to read books on prayer. Sometimes, it's good to get a different perspective. I don't remember ever being taught how to pray, however we are always told throughout the Bible to pray without any clear direction taught to us through our churches it seems like. (Another one of the many points that I agree with Michelle DeRusha of Spiritual Misfit: A Memoir of Uneasy Faithcan agree on.


I feel more centered when my church life, prayer life, and God life, are in check. I need reminders not to let one thing get me down. This is WAY easier said than done since my chronic pain is causing me to be unable to sleep, which is crashing my immune system and health in general. I am also on a medical leave from work. A prayer journal, books on prayer, and church life are going to be my aids in this. I'm thinking about getting this set of prayer journals I found on Etsy: http://www.valmariepaper.com/shop/year-set-of-prayer-journals/ (UPDATE: I just purchased them). How do you pray? Do you have a set "script" for prayer? Do you pray like you're speaking to a figure of authority, or like a friend, or family member? I'm interested to know!

Playlist

I am a huge music lover. I have music on most of the time and often times, I find myself listening to Christian music. Yes I listen to secular music quite often as well, but sometimes I just need uplifting, praying alongside worthy, worship music. So I present, my latest playlist.






If those links don't work, since Blogger can be a jerk sometimes, they are
"Oceans"-Hillsong United
"How Sweet the Sound"-Citizen Way
"You Amaze Us"-Selah
"Whom Shall I Fear"-Chris Tomlin
"Love Come To Life"-Big Daddy Weave
"All I Can Say"-David Crowder Band
"Lead Me"=Sanctus Real

Feeling defeated but not down

September seems to always be a rough month for me. I broke an ankle as a teenager in September, cracked scar tissue in it a few years later in September (which resulted in an emergency surgery), had an emergency appendectomy in September and almost died. Broken relationships seem to have a September theme as well.

Good things about September? The two jobs I've had that have changed me the most both started in September. My current one I just celebrated my one year a couple of weeks ago.

September is hard. September is full of changes. School starts back, new jobs start for graduates, the weather becomes even more temperamental (I live in Texas, the weather will go from 100+ to thunderstorms in seconds).

But I need to look at September in a new way. In a way that may bring changes, and new developments, new opportunities. I know part of my dilemma is that I have some health issues that are just completely disrupting my life.

I will continue to pray, and get back to my small group and church group. Pray to get my life back in order and for the guidance to do so.

I meant to publish this last week but a cold got the better of me so multi-tasking became my weakness. 

Prayer

Taken from: http://www.stacatholic.org/pray

This hasn't always been the easiest thing for me. There are days when I don't feel like I'm worthy of praying or talking to God. Like he won't listen to me because I've sinned too much. 

Some days, I find myself pausing to pray randomly throughout the day and night. Then some other days, I forget. That sounds horrible! How many times have you caught yourself forgetting to pray? 

Then there is everyone telling us that we should pray a certain way, or not ask God for things, or that we have to speak to God a certain way. From my understanding, from Bible verses, as well as studies I've read, God doesn't want us to treat him with this ultimate reverence and like a stranger. He doesn't want us to speak to him like someone we don't know. We should speak to God as our Father; with respect, yes, but with our heart and minds open.  With love and hope and happiness. 

When I pray, there is not much rhyme or reason. I thank God for things blessings I have received, and I end it thanking for Jesus. 

James 4:2 We have not because we ask not.

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

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Currently reading

As I've mentioned before, and is probably pretty obvious, I'm a bookworm. As such, I cannot read one book at a time exclusively. I flip back and forth much to everyone arounds chagrin. The question "what are you reading right now?" creates a hive like sensation and I have no idea how geeky or weird they are about to think I am when I can't give a straight answer. So, at the moment here are the books I'm reading.

You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth. My favorite thing about her writing? Combination of Faith, personal experiences, and psychological research. Things the Psychology major, and research geek, love!

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst is an interesting book so far. It's pretty new, so I haven't had a chance to finish but it mostly revolves around not spreading yourself too thin and knowing "When to say Yes."

I've been really interesting in exploring paths that make a difference, as well as books on leadership and motivation. Blake Mycoskie's Start Something that Matters is perfect for all of these reasons! It explores what motivated him to start TOMS, and his entrepreneurship.

I love to read and welcome book suggestions! I read pretty much anything so let me know!





Here are some other places to find me online:

petitetexasmama.blogspot.com
A blog that's mostly Health/Wellness related.

twitter.com/christie17

instagram.com/christie177