Pray
Prayer is both a central spiritual practice for followers of Jesus, and, for many, one of the most difficult to grasp. It seems like prayer should be simple, just talking to God. But we worry about how we are praying, if we are saying the right words or doing the right things, and we wonder if anyone is really listening.
The practice, Pray, shows us how when we believe that prayer is important enough to worry about messing up, that someone is listening, and that the listener is concerned, we are engaging in supreme acts of trust. Prayer relies on our belief that God cares for us and hears us. This belief shapes us. In this unit, we share our pain, we hear other people’s pain, and are invited to pray for and with them. As we give thanks, we realize how much we truly have to be thankful for and grace is revealed.
Adult Reflection Guide
The Adult Reflection Guide is a workbook or journal for adults that allows for self-guided study of the practice. This guide engages adults through study, reflection questions, space for writing or drawing, and suggestions for practicing the practice. Included in this piece is the foundational essay, which dives even deeper into the biblical scholarship of each practice. This piece works well for individual study or for small group study when combined with the Adult Leader’s Guide.
Featured in the Adult Reflection Guide:
Pray Honestly (Matthew 6:9–13)
Pray Persistently and Humbly (Luke 18:1–14)
Pray with and for Others (James 5:13–16)
Pray with Your Whole Self (Psalms 63:1–4; 88:13–18; 139:15–16)
