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Bloom Prayer Chapter 15 &16 (Ordinary and Petitionary) from Bloom (in)courage on Vimeo.
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Read
Preface and Chapter 1 (Simple Prayer)
Chapters 2 and 3 (Prayers of the Forsaken and Examen)
Chapters 4 and 5 (Prayers of Tears and Relinquishment)
Chapters 6 and 7 (Prayers of Formation and Covenant)
Chapters 8 and 9 (Prayers of Adoration and Rest)
Chapters 10 and 11 (Sacramental and Unceasing Prayer}
Chapters 12-14 (Prayer of the Heart, Meditative and Contemplative Prayers}
Praying the Ordinary
Foster suggests overcoming the modern heresy of a 5% spirituality by:
- turning ordinary experiences of life into prayer
- seeing God in the ordinary experiences of life
- praying throughout the ordinary experiences of life
The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find him at all. (p. 171)
We’re challenged to view our work as an asset because it is prayer in action. Looking through the lens of 1 Cor. 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God,” Foster encourages us not to disdain work, but to recognize that it came before the Fall, and regardless of what your vocation is, it can be done to glorify God.
The girls mentioned it in the video, but Anthony Bloom’s quote bears repeating:
“A prayer makes sense only if it is lived. Unless they are ‘lived,’ unless life and prayer become completely interwoven, prayers become a sort of polite madrigal which you offer to God at moments when you are giving time to Him.” (p. 172)
Ways of Praying the Ordinary (pp. 174-75)
1) Prayer of Action ~ “Each activity of daily life in which we stretch ourselves on behalf of others.”
2) Seeing God in ordinary life experiences.
3) When waiting ~ “In waiting we begin to get in touch with the rhythms of life–stillness and action, listening and decision” and when given over to God, it becomes prayer.
4) In the context of family. “The earliest alter was the hearth whose open fire burned in the center of the home,” and personally I have often said the dinner table is sacred.
In essence, this chapter focuses our attention on the “everydayness” of prayer; how all of are actions can be captured in prayer. Aren’t you released from ALL (false) guilt when asked and answered the question: “What are we to do?” “The best we can!”
Petitionary Prayer
Asking for ourselves = petition
Asking on behalf of others = intersession
Asking is at the heart of both (p. 179)
“Petitionary Prayer remains primary throughout our lives because we are forever dependent upon God.” (p. 179) Anybody else wanna shout Amen when they read that?
Foster poo-poos the notion that Petitionary Prayer is “less than” by noting that the Lord’s Prayer is primarily petitionary; but he does address two common problems (p180-181):
1) Why should we ask God for things when he already knows our needs?
- God likes to be asked.
- God desires authentic dialogue
2) The concern over “bothering God” with the petty details of my life.
- False humility not to share deepest needs.
Foster takes time to discuss Unanswered Prayer on pages 181-184; this is one section I’d strongly encourage you to read if you’ve struggled with how God answers (or seems not to answer) your prayer; several helpful thoughts to consider:
1) We sometimes ask for things not in our best interests.
2) The answer to our prayers would be detrimental to others.
3) Sometimes our prayers are self-contradictory.
4) Sometimes we aren’t prepared for what we ask.
5) Many times are prayers ARE answered but we fail to see it.
Discernment is key, a prayer in and of itself.
I had never heard the word “Paternoster” before reading this book! And yet it’s something every Christian is familiar with: The Lord’s Prayer!
- It is a total prayer. “Of its seven perfectly crafted requests, three relate to personal petition and can be summed up in give, forgive and deliver (p. 185).
- Addresses small and big things
- spiritual / material things
- inward / outward concerns
- Does not mean we will cease to hurt.
- Does not mean we will forget.
- Doesn’t pretend the offense didn’t really matter.
- Isn’t acting as if things are the same as before offense.
- is “a miracle of grace whereby the offense no longer separates.”
- “means that the power of love that holds us together is greater than the power of the offense that separates us.” (LOVE)
Discuss
These are two of my favorite chapters so far–relatable, thought-provoking, helping me to see the familiar in new light. Can you choose one over the other? How would you contrast the Ordinary prayers we learn about in Chapter 15 with Simple prayer we studied in Chapter 1? How does the study of Petitionary Prayer cause you to look differently at The Lord’s Prayer (or does it?)? Did anything particularly resonate with you from our Sofa Girls today?
Favorite verse
“God values the ordinary.”
(From Praying the Ordinary p. 173.)
and I’m throwing in a second because of its huge ramifications–
“Jesus has transfigured the trivialities of everyday life. Try to imagine what our prayer experience would be like if he had forbidden us to ask for the little things.”
(Petitionary Prayer, p. 185)
__________
Thank you for sharing posts from this study online–whether emailed, Facebook-liked, Tweeted or Pinned, we’re grateful.
Just a few more chapters, girlieQs and we’ll be drawing to a close. Until then, we’re blessed to have Julie sharing time with Angie and Jessica as we continue exploring Part III, Moving Outward: Seeking the Ministry We Need.
❤, Robin
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Prayer: Chapter 15 (Ordinary) & Chapter 16 (Petitionary) | ChristianBookBarn.com says
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alyssaz says
My favorite part of the petitionary prayer was when Foster discussed how God still wants us to ask because he loves being asked. I loved the imagery he used of parents and their children. I can relate more now with my own child.
I think I could use someone to walk me through the difference of this type of prayer and simple prayer!
Robin Dance says
Alyssaz,
That’s always a good thing if you’ve learned something that helps in parenting; especially when it’s something with such great eternal value.
And, like you, I had questions about the distinction but at the end of the day I suppose this entire book is a guided conversation, leading us into deeper and wider realms of praying.
Lyli@3dLessons4Life says
Favorite quote for Chapter 15 is on page 171: “The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular or heroic.” I was especially comforted by page 174 where he says were find God “in the waiting.” Waiting is so hard sometimes! — I loved what Julie shared on the video about creating a haven in her home and choosing a Scripture for each child to pray over them at night.
I love that Foster says “God delights in our asking.” I must admit that a lot of questions and requests really annoy me, so I have to remember that God is not me. He desires us to come to Him. It brings Him great joy.
I have read a couple of great books about praying the Lord’s Prayer — Praying the Lord’s Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough by Elmer Towns and The Great House of God by Max Lucado. Thought I would pass those titles along for anyone who might be interested…
Nicolle says
Still loving this book, the video recaps and the written recaps! Thanks so much to you ladies for using your gifts to bless so many. I’ve been asked to organize a mini-prayer ministry and prayer room at my church’s upcoming women’s retreat and I’d love to use some (okay, a lot!) of the written recaps to summarize the movements of prayer and how we can better know God through them. Would that be alright? I’d be happy to share how we end up using the book and this study as a resource afterwards as well. 🙂
Lynsie says
Like Robin, these 2 chapters have been my favorite so far. If I had to choose, Praying the Ordinary was my favorite.
I’m a stay at home mom. To most people that means I don’t have a job; I don’t provide for my family; I just sit on the couch and watch TV all day long. Reading this chapter reassured me that God’s view of my vocation is so much different than the world’s view. He values the time I spend reading to or playing peek-a-boo with my daughter. Laundry, cooking, cleaning…all those things are important to Him. And in doing those things, though very mundane and unexciting at times (okay, most of the time), I can bring Him glory. I don’t have to have gone to seminary or lead a small group at church or pack my bags and fly across the world and work with orphans to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Now, I’m not saying those things are bad at all. I’m just saying that for those of us who have not been called by Him to do great things like that, we still matter to Him and have a purpose in His Kingdom’s work.
As far as Petitionary Prayer…to be honest, I was a little disappointed that the section on Unanswered Prayer was completely skipped in the video. I feel like that topic is something many people struggle with. I do, at least. Maybe it wasn’t mentioned in the video because it’s a pretty heavy topic. I’d really like to know Angie’s thoughts on this. Her perspective on this topic would help me work through the issues I have with unanswered prayer in relation to the premature birth and death of my son.
I did love Foster’s section on Forgive. My 2 favorite quotes from that section were “It is not just the things that we do, though those by themselves are enough. It is also the things we leave undone” (p.186) and “we remember, but in forgiving we no longer use the memory against others” (p. 187).
Martha says
These are two of my favorite chapters so far–relatable, thought-provoking, helping me to see the familiar in new light. Can you choose one over the other? How would you contrast the Ordinary prayers we learn about in Chapter 15 with Simple prayer we studied in Chapter 1? How does the study of Petitionary Prayer cause you to look differently at The Lord’s Prayer (or does it?)? Did anything particularly resonate with you from our Sofa Girls today?
Loved both of these chapters.. I didn’t see much difference between praying the ordinary and simple prayer. Loved both of those chapters since that seems to be the realm in which I reside most of the time.. the ordinary. 🙂 It is good to see what heights we can aspire to in prayer.. but good to know the stuff of our everyday mundane life is the stuff of prayer, too.
“The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find him at all. Ours is to be a symphonic piety in which all the activities of work and play and family and worship and sex and sleep are the holy habits of the eternal.” (171)