I downloaded Richard Foster's books to my kindle, and I am starting to read his book entitled "Prayer." I am only on preface, but already it is so good! Normally when I do a post on this blog about a book I put the page down after all the quotes I use, however, since this book is on my kindle, I won't do that. However, I will write down the title and the author and the chapter.
I have only read the preface of this book, but already I can tell it is going to be a good book. I was first introduced to this book junior year at ACU, during all girls' life group, when melody, one of the girls read it for one of her classes on study abroad to Oxford, and she really enjoyed it. However, I have never read it. I really think that it is going to be a good book. I am very much looking forward to reading it.
In the preface, Foster wrote: "countless people, you see, pray far more than they know. Often they have such a 'stained glass' image of prayer that they fail to recognize what they are experiencing as prayer and so condemn themselves for not praying" (Prayer by Richard Foster, Preface). This was one of the first things that caught my eye and I can safely say that I think I am one of these people that he is talking about. I do not think I pray enough. I do not consider prayer to be a part of my daily life, and I hate that. I am working on it, hence I am reading this book, but what if my idea of prayer is…limited. What if praying is more than just closing your eyes, holding hands, and having someone ask God for prayer requests and think Him for praises. Or doing the same thing by yourself? What if that is just one way to pray? What if there is more to it than that, and we just don't know it? I just don't know it. I know that this might sound…selfish, but I so want to experience something amazing when I'm praying. I want to experience something without explanation, that defies logic and common sense and everything we know and everything I know…I said it might sound selfish because I know that praying is about God, letting Him into our hearts and our souls. It's not about us, but there you go. It made me think that maybe this book is going to be something that is really going to hit home with me and inspire me.
"Healthy prayer necessitates frequent experiences of the common, earthy, run-of-the-mill variety. Like walks, and talks, and good wholesome laughter like work in the yard, and chitchat with the neighbors, and washing windows. Like loving out spouse, and playing with our kids, and working with colleagues to be spiritually fit to scale the Himalayas of the spirit, we need regular exercise in the hills and valleys of ordinary life"(Prayer by Richard Foster, Preface). Foster wrote this at the end of the Preface, and I love it! I love the idea that you can't pray unless you are living, that it does not work unless you are living. Maybe spending all day, 24/7 in prayer is not the best way to pray, because you are not living life. Now, I am not a theologian, and I am not debating or contradicting, etc. doctrine or life of devoted to prayer, I am merely stating my opinions here. I really loved this, and again, it makes me excited and eager to read the rest of this book. I hear nothing but good things about Richard Foster, and so far, I agree with the good things I hear. This makes me think. Maybe prayer is supposed to be about spending time with God, connecting with God, making God a part of your life, every aspect of your life. and it seems to me that what Foster is saying here, or what I am getting out of it anyway, is that you can't do that unless you are living life. you can't make God an aspect of every part of your life if you are not living your life.
Coming Home: An Invitation to Prayer
This section comes before the first section; it's kind of an…introduction to the book. The quote that opens this section is "True, whole prayer is nothing but love" by St. Augustine (Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction. I really liked this quote, and I think it's fitting. Makes me think that maybe we make praying so complicated and such a big mysterious thing when in reality, maybe it is just spending time with God and going to Him and letting Him touch and change our hearts.
One of the first things that caught my eye in this section (so far, I have not finished reading it)is this passage(it's at the end of the first part of this introduction section: " we do not need to be shy. He invites us into the living room of his heart, where we can put on old slippers and share freely. He invites us into the kitchen of his friendship, where chatter and batter mix in good fun. He invites us into the dining room of his strength, where we can feast to our heart's delight. He invites us into the study of his wisdom, where we can learn and grow and stretch…and ask all the questions we want. He invites us into the workshop of his creativity, where we can be co-laborers with him, working together to determine the outcomes of events. He invites us into the bedroom of his rest, where new peace is found and where we can be naked and vulnerable and free. It is also the place of deepest intimacy, where we know and are known to the fullest" (Prayer by Richard Foster, Introduction). i love this passage. I love the imagery of it. Of God being like a house, like Home, and praying can take us into various different parts of this Home, not just one. Sometimes when I think of praying, I think of prayer requests or praises, one of the other. But maybe those are just two parts of it, two rooms in the house. Maybe there are more rooms. Maybe praying is simply being in the house. I know that makes no sense, but it's hard to describe. I just love the imagery. Praying is spending time with God. In various rooms, in various ways and for different ways, but spending time with God .
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