We want to avoid a feast/famine pattern of prayer. It will not hold up under the influence of our constantly fluctuating feelings.
Since late November, my prayer life has become rather inconsistent in intensity and frequency. (See this post). It seems that all sense of discipline has gone out the window. I don’t know what happened. It doesn’t matter at this point. I am tired of chasing my swinging moods in regards to prayer.
Julie D. posted two excerpts from the book, Prayer Primer: Igniting the Fire Within by Thomas Dubay, called “Biblical Prayer Themes”, Part I and Part II. I had this book in my hand a few months ago. I almost purchased it but decided against it because I didn’t consider myself a beginner in prayer. There were more pressing things I wanted to read at the time.
Well, as any good coach knows, when you get yourself into difficulties, go back to the basics. And when you find yourself having problems communing with God (and other people), well, the first place to look is your prayer life. What more intimate contact is possible with the Divine than prayer?
After reading the first few chapters, this book is definitely not only for beginners.
It is extraordinary that the Creator of billions of huge galaxies, each of which on average contains more billions of enormous suns, should descend to the tiny detail of telling us to “close the door” of our prayer place. This is an awesome tribute to our individual importance and that commuting with the Father: we and our prayer are more splendid than all the galaxies taken together!