Prayer


As I finish my review through Dallas Willard's book The Spirit of the Disciplines, I wanted to include the discipline of prayer which is critical in the life of every disciple. The activity of prayer, conversing and communicating with God, is often accompanied by other disciplines such as solitude, study, and worship. Prayer in itself is not a spiritual discipline, but it take practice to continue in a place of prayer throughout our day. Willard states that "praying with frequency gives us the readiness to pray again as needed from moment to moment." He goes on to say that the discipline of prayer, teaches us to pray without ceasing, and trains us to invoke God's presence in every action we perform."

Prayer can be difficult for most of us. We fail to set aside adequate time, alone with the Lord so we can actually communicate with him. We also struggle to focus our minds and discipline our thoughts. The discipline of prayer helps us push past these hindrances so we can experience a richer spiritual experience with God in prayer. The best way to live in a continual attitude of prayer is to practice praying. Always try to incorporate prayer into other spiritual disciplines. Prayer centers us on God and opens our hearts and minds to receive the Holy Spirit's guidance.

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