Welcome! I am glad you stopped by. With each monthly post, I am going to offer, A Holy Pause Reflection. This will be an invitation to pause and notice God's invitations.
One ordinary day, Jesus was hanging out with his friends, the disciples. Jesus pulls away to pray. I wonder if his friends were spying on him, watching him pray from afar. They became curious. Curious about Jesus' prayer life. What was he was saying and doing?
The disciples named one of their deepest desires, "Lord, teach us to pray. Like you."
I imagine a big smile. A heart of full of joy. 'A Holy Pause' with His friends. He probably gathered them close and began to share,
"When you pray, pray like this.....
Our Father, which 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 them that 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."
You might be thinking, it's that easy? Just pray that prayer. Well, kind of. Sort of. Prayer is a life-long journey. God wants to meet us right where we are. He invites us into a deeper prayer life. But let's be honest.
Have you ever felt stuck in your prayer life?
Have you ever wondered what God is doing when you pray?
Have you ever wondered why you are invited to pray?
We are no different than the disciples. I can answer yes to all three of those questions. Maybe you can too. You might already be saying, "I don't pray enough. I don't always know what to pray. It seems like God isn't moving or listening." There are many times throughout our lives (just like the disciples) that we just feel stuck or bored in our prayer life. We wonder if God is hearing our prayers.
We all go through seasons of being stuck in our prayer life. I once heard a wise person say, "When you feel stuck in your prayer life, maybe this is an invitation to begin a new prayer practice." I find freedom in that invitation. I found myself in a similar season a while back so I went to scripture and asked God to teach me how to pray when I feel stuck in my prayer life. He led me to the Lord's Prayer. Every night before I went to bed, I would pray the Lord's Prayer. Slowly. One line at at a time. Inviting God to speak to me through this prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. This practice each night before bed, became a beautiful time of being with God and remembering Jesus as He gathered his kids around to teach them to pray. I noticed some invitations over time from my Father as I prayed this prayer slowly and with a posture of listening. He invited me into this time to transform me from the inside out in some areas that weren't easy but brought healing and spiritual freedom.
What I am learning about prayer.......
Prayer is a posture.
Prayer is a language of the heart.
Prayer is an openness to give and receive.
Prayer is being....with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is listening.
Prayer is repenting.
Prayer is interceding.
Prayer is a holy pause.
Prayer is asking.
Prayer is praise.
Prayer is waiting.
Prayer is practice.
Prayer changes us.
Prayer is a conversation.
Prayer is aligning with God.
Prayer is a mystery.
Prayer is union with God.
Maybe it's time to begin a new prayer practice! I invite you to journey with God into a deeper prayer life. Take some time in the coming weeks to begin a new prayer practice and notice how God shapes and forms you in this time to be more like Him.
A Holy Pause Reflection
1. What do you notice when you feel stuck in your prayer life? Is it a feeling or emotion or a thought about God?
2. Imagine what God might be doing as your heart opens to a posture of prayer. Write down some of your thoughts.
3. Is God inviting you to a new prayer practice? I have listed a few below.
Prayer Walk-Go for a long walk. Maybe try a new walking trail. Spend time listening, noticing. Inviting God to speak to you. Pray for your neighbors as you walk. Pray for your city.
Pray the Lord's Prayer daily.
Prayer Journal-Grab your journal if you like to journal and spend a few minutes just breathing slowly, inviting God's presence into this time. Jot down what you notice as you are open to him. He longs to meet you right where you are. Spend some time reflecting over the past week. What kept coming up for you this past week? Offer it to God.
Pray using Scripture-The Lord's Prayer is a great start or read a Psalm a day for one week. Say the Psalms out loud and invite God to talk to you through His Word. Circle any words or phrases that stand out to you. Take those to God in prayer.
Prayer Silence-This might be hard at first. Start small. Maybe 1 minute, then 2 minutes. Silence was God's first language. He speaks in the silence. I love the PAUSE APP by Jon Eldredge.
Grace upon Grace as you begin a deeper journey into prayer. Be kind to yourself. Remember we are pilgrims on a journey. I am praying for you.
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