Paddy Flanagan and Lauren BurkeMMIN 651 Spiritual Formation and

Discipleship Professor P. McKinney II - Fall 2011

Lauren Burke

-Sometimes, when we think of prayer, it’s easy to imagine ourselves at the edge of our bed, praying to God for silly things like family, our dog, friends at school and other stuff.

-But, when we enter a prayer FILLED life, we are agreeing to listen to the small, gentle voice that God provides…-It is not a method but an attitude1 Kings 19-9:13Elijah’s attitude changes

Paddy Flanagan & Lauren Burke

1. Luther – Praying in Faith 2. Underhill – What do we mean

by Prayer? 3. Baillie – Morning Prayer 4. Buttrick – A Simple Regimen

of Silent Prayer5. Merton – Ways of Meditation 6. Nouwen – Solitude 7. Laubach – Constant Prayer8. Norwich – Highest form of

Prayer

Paddy Flanagan & Lauren Burke

Paddy Flanagan

• Martin Luther had a way of expressing his faith in a very practical way. We see this occur in his thoughts on prayer.• Many Christians struggle

with what to expect when they pray.

• The implications of God (the Creator of all things) hearing our prayers are great.

• Verse: Mark 11:22-25

•Overall Theme: IntellectUnderhill is a primary source for spiritual direction; great ability to mesh the academic with the authentic spirituality we needIdeas:

• PRAYER: “That part of our conscious life which is deliberately oriented towards, and exclusively responds to spiritual reality. God is that spiritual reality.• Thinking, Feeling, Willing faculties

i. A whole person of prayerful intellect

Prayer begins with thinking, (intellect) of what we are going to do, then we feel we need to do it, and then we do it. Prayer begins with intellectual adjustment.

Verse: Acts 17:22-34Lauren Burke

•Overall Theme: Morning PrayerBaillie combined the mind with the heart (Like, Underhill and this!) Devotional life was at center of all academic endeavors

Ideas:First Morning: My First ThoughtSecond Morning: Continued dependence on GodThird Morning: Joyous Labor for GodFourth Morning: Waiting Presence Fifth Morning: Lord and Giver of LifeSixth Morning: His greatest GiftSeventh Morning: Lord, Maker of all Things

Lauren Burke

Paddy Flanagan

George A. Buttrick provides some guidance to help better his reader’s prayer life. Please do not misunderstand this guidance, these are not the “tip and tricks” condemned by Merton. Instead this is more of a set of directions.

Prayers can be broken down into four categories:

1. Thanksgiving,

2. Confession,

3. Intercession

4. Petition

Verse: Luke 6:27-36

Paddy Flanagan

• In our modern world we are always looking for tips and tricks to save time and energy. Our hope is that by learning from other people’s success or failure we can avoid the same mistakes and complete our task quicker and easier. • That mindset makes Thomas

Merton’s approach to prayer is difficult for us to comprehend. Merton believes, the key to prayer is not a “method” or “system” but an “attitude” and “outlook” (p.65). In other words there are no quick tips and tricks to prayer.

• Those who attempt to use some form of trick in their spiritual life will discover that their intentions are all wrong. Instead of opening one’s self up to God to transform them, they are putting their hope in gimmicks.

• Verse: Psalm 39

• Overall Theme: SolitudeNouwen was a Roman Catholic Priest and Psychologist; his pilgrimage brought him to serve the mentally handicappedIdeas:

Spiritual life is a gift, a gift of the Holy SpiritDiscipline is the other side of DiscipleshipQuieting the noise to hear God “audire” to listen, Latin word “obedient”Concentrated effort to create some inner and outer space in our lives where obedience (ie listening to God ) can be practiced; solitude is NECESSARY for a spiritual life

Lauren Burke

• Overall Theme: Consistency Laubach lived each moment with a sense of God’s presence. Responsible for teaching one half of the 90,000 people in and around Manila, Philippines to read and experience God Ideas:

I have done nothing but open windows, God has done the restFeel God in each movement, by and act of will – willing that he shall direct even your fingers, and that he pours through your steps as you walk“Moment by moment” surrender and obey to be “lost in his love”Live in continuous inner conversation with God and perfect responsiveness to His will.

Verse: Psalm 139:1-10, 17-18Lauren Burke

Paddy Flanagan

• Julian of Norwich underwent a series of “revelations” as she put it. During these revelations she experienced great pain, but through her pain she would grow in reverent fear and true meekness.

• Norwich asked God for three things. 1. A deep recollection of His passion. 2. A bodily sickness. 3. To have of God’s gifts, three

wounds • As she asked for these things, we see a

glimpse of her mindset and attitude in one of her payers recorded for us, “Lord, you know what I want. If it is your will that I have it, or if it is not your will, do not be displeased with my prayer, for I do not want anything that you do not want” (p. 74).

• Verse Psalm 8