The practice of spiritual disciplines is crucial in my
spiritual life. As stated in The
Celebration of Discipline, “The classical disciplines of the spiritual life
call us to move beyond surface living into the depths.” Disciplines add a
deeper substance to my life. As I maintain the practice of spiritual
disciplines; this will overflow in all areas of my life. I will practice
integrity in all I do. One of the most
critical disciplines I need to regularly implement into my life is prayer. “To
pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us” (33).
Prayer changes me from within and also will begin to change the world around
me. “We are to change the world by prayer” (35). Real and heartfelt prayer
changes the world. Prayer tunes me into the things of God and leads me into
knowing what God desires for me to do.
In my
professional life, I am called to pursue the will of God with passion.
Colossians 3:23 states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for men.” The work or career becomes irrelevant as I
become more in touch with the assurance that no matter what I do, I am to work
at it with everything I am, as if I am working for God, not for people. The
discipline of prayer gives me direction daily as I search to find out what God
wants me to do with the life he’s given to me as an irreplaceable gift. Prayer
lends itself as the cornerstone to all the other spiritual disciplines.
Richard
Foster describes different types of prayer: discursive prayer, mental prayer,
and centering prayer. He also lists prayer of intercession as learning how to
pray effectively for others. I must be in contact with God to pray effectively.
“One of the most critical aspects in learning to pray for others is to get in
contact with God so that his life and power can flow through us into others”
(38). When I maintain a deep prayer
life, the life and power of God flows through me into others. Real prayer transforms
the ways I have into the deep things of God. “In prayer, real prayer, we begin
to think God’s thought’s after him to desire the things he desires, to love the
things he loves, to will the things he wills” (33). Prayer is designed to
adjust me to God, rather than to adjust God to me. Prayer also serves as my
lifeline to God and seeking God in prayer is critical.
Although
prayer is considered an “inward discipline”, it produces outward results. How
and what I pray impacts my life. What I pray for now matters. For the past
several years, I have kept prayer journals and writing prayers down have forced
me to slow down and really think about what I am saying. I am realizing that
when I have a strong prayer life, all other areas of my life will be strong as
well. As a child of God, I am called to pray. Also, when I pray, I am changed
because God’s power works in me. A prayer offered up in faith, God hears, heals,
and forgives.
Prayer can
be related to my professional life because I can intercede on others’ behalf. I
am ministry minded and prayer itself is a ministry. Intercessory prayer builds
bridges between people I have contact with daily. Community is built through
prayer and by listening to others pray. Prayer is constant and conforms me into a
deeper relationship with God. As an example, God has showed me, through
journaled prayers, that I will experience closeness with him. A deep
relationship with God overflows into all other areas of my life.
