Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction

     hey, let me know how wacky and crazy my thoughts are. lol.

 

 

 In the section "The Key and the Door", Foster writes: "perhaps prayer is the delight of your life. You have lived in the divine milieu for a long time and can attest to its goodness. But you long for more: more power, more love, more of God in your life" (Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction) I will admit that I cannot really relate to the first part of this, but the second part, about longing for more, I can. I want praying to be more than what we do at the end of a Study, or when someone is really upset or going through a hard time. I want it to mean more than just presenting God with a list of requests and thank yous.  So I can relate to at least part of this. The part about it being the delight of my life, etc. not very much. At least not yet, but I want it to be the delight of my life.

                The last section of this "introduction" chapter  is entitled "The Syntax of Prayer" and a passage in it really leaped out at me: "This book is written to help you explore this 'many-splendored' heart of God. It is not about definitions of prayer or terminology for prayer or arguments about prayer, though all of these have tjeir place.nor is it about methods and techniques of prayer, though I am sure we will discuss both. No, this book is about a love relationship: an enduring, continuing, growing love relationship with the great God of the universe.and overwhelming love invites a response. Loving is the syntax of prayer. To be effective pray-ers, we need to be effective lovers"(Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction). I love this passage!  I love that this book won't be about how to pray, or the right words to say when praying, or a doctrine book about prayer, but instead, it will be the heart of the matter: what prayer is truly and really about: love. God. A relationship. A relationship of love with God.  Maybe at some point I will want to read a prayer book that does address those things, but for now, I just need to focus on what it truly and really is about. I feel like we have turned praying into a time where we put a list of requests to God, throw in Thank Yous, and that's it. Do we listen to Him? Does this sound like a love relationship, truly spending time with God, going to Him? I am not sure it does. I feel like it should be more. I want it to be more than just that. Have we turned praying into something that requires methods, doctrine, specific body positions, and technique? So I am excited that Foster will be focusing on the heart of praying, what God wants praying to Him to be like. I know this sounds weird, but again, I am not arguing doctrine here. I am just writing about my opinions and views and observations.  I love where he says that in order to be effective pray-ers, we have to be effective lovers. In order for our praying life to be…effective for lack of a better word….we need to be love. Love sounds it's God's language doesn't it? anyways, I loved that part. I love that fosters seems to be saying that we don't need to have fancy words or the right position or the right words or be holding hands or have taken a class on praying but we just need…to love. To be good lovers.   I feel like we forget that a lot, in many areas other than just praying.  He also writes: "real prayer comes not from gritting our teeth but from falling in love"(Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction) that pretty much sums it up I think J

That is the end of the "introduction section. I am now about to start Part I, Moving inward: seeking the transformation we need. I am very much excited and ready to read this part. I think it will really hit home with me.