Making a Solemn Commitment to Prayer

Making a Solemn Commitment to Prayer

Into the Deep (Week 3 of 4)

When we buy a many thousand-dollar vehicle, we don’t hesitate to get the extended warranty.

When we buy a couple of hundred dollar phone (which is more of a pocket computer), we don’t bat an eye at the $50-70 case that will keep it protected from drops and spills.

And yet, many of us expect to just turn on the prayer faucet and have it function…never mind that we don’t have a drain pipe installed or even a working nozzle.

(And that’s where my metaphor stops working so well…I’m not inclined toward plumbing…)

In Part 3, Burke outlines three aspects of prayer that are essential. They’re not optional if we want to succeed.

He writes:

Just like a church is not a church without an altar, a few essential elements are required for your progress in prayer. These elements embody the universal secrets of success in prayer that you will find in the lives of every person who has been serious about growing spiritually. In modern business terms, these are called “best practices.” […] [T]hese three essential elements reflect the very best practices of those who have known profound success in their spiritual lives.

They’re not that hard to remember, either.

Sacred time, sacred space, and sacred attention.

It’s a trinity! A trifecta! A trio!

But don’t let the catchiness of it all fool you: I don’t think anyone (least of all Dan Burke) would tell you any of it is easy.

And that leads us to Part 4, where we’re given another insight that, in the business world, could well be called game-changing.

“Now that you understand the basic steps and the essential elements of prayer,” writes Burke, “it is time to make an informed, purposeful, and meaningful commitment to God.”

This is the spiritual equivalent of signing your name to an agreement…

…but it’s with God, the Creator of the Universe.

Talk about bringing it into perspective!

These two sections are a blueprint to help any of us get beyond started, to actually succeed.

As we finish the book, we’ll learn the specific steps for Discovery Prayer and winning the battle (because it surely is a battle!).

Reading Assignment:

Part 5-End

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have a time and/or space set aside for prayer? If not, make time this week to set a time and make a space.

2. Have you promised prayer time to God? If so, revisit that promise: are you being faithful to it? If not, make one.

Feel free to comment on anything from our assignment this past week!

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For More Information on the Book Club:  http://spiritualdirection.com/csd-book-club