Growing With God 2013
‘Growing with God’ … Keeping the main thing the main thing.
Introducing the Spiritual Disciplines What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘discipline’?
Dr Andrew Newberg: Prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress and anxiety. Just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. Contemplating a loving God reduces anxiety, depression, and stress and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love. Intense prayer and meditation permanently change structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality.
“The first and best thing in life is nothing less than a transforming relationship with the God who made us, named us and called us into being.” Adele Calhoun, contemporary. “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.” St Paul, Philippians 3:8 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Jesus, Matthew 13:45-46 Or, to put it another way…
A deep thought… "Superficiality is the curse of our age…. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people." Richard Foster
The Twelve Disciplines The Inward Disciplines Prayer, meditation, fasting, study The Outward Disciplines Simplicity, solitude, submission, service The Corporate Disciplines Confession, worship, guidance, celebration Richard Foster
The ‘Growing with God’ schedule January PrayerA vital way to start the year FebruaryConfessionAsh Wednesday falls on Feb 13 MarchFastingLent includes almost all of March AprilCelebrationThe joyous Easter season MayWorship May includes Pentecost JuneStudyCoinciding with the end of school JulyGuidanceSummer quiet for listening to God AugustMeditationKicking back and tuning in to God September ServiceThe start of a new church year OctoberSimplicityStewardship time NovemberSubmissionCreation begins its annual death DecemberSolitudeAdvent waiting for the Kingdom
January - Prayer Growing With God 2013
So they say… “It is the way we feel God’s heartbeat.” Anon “I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” Martin Luther, 16 th Century “Prayer is to religion what original research is to science.” PT Forsythe, 19 th Century “We’re into microwaving; God, on the other hand, is usually into marinating.” Peter Wagner, 1980s “Answers to prayer are wonderful, but they are secondary to the main function of prayer, which is a growing, perpetual communion with God.” Richard Foster, 1978
The interactive conversation with God about what we are doing together. “This is how you should pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Jesus So they say… continued
What is prayer? It flows out of a relationship with God It takes us into his presence It changes us It changes history Posture of the body is less important than posture of the heart
Obstacles to prayer “We live in a ‘closed universe’” “Fate has determined the future” “I don’t feel like it” “I don’t know how to” “I don’t really care about the things I should pray about.” “It doesn’t come easily” “I’m in a rush” “It all seems so complicated”
Types of prayer Breath prayer A simple intimate prayer, in rhythm with breathing Contemplative prayer A state of receptive openness to God Conversational prayer A dialog with God about a particular subject Intercessory prayer Presenting the needs of the world to God Fixed-hour prayer A regular, consistent pattern of attending to God Liturgical prayer A memorized or written prayer providing structure