This course is basically a crash course in many different forms of prayer and is intended to take about 5 weeks to complete. Prayer is not something one can simply decide to do regularly and then be done with the whole process. It takes time to cultivate into one's heart. It is highly advisable that you do not rush through this course. Even though is is very elementary in many of its teachings, these teachings are also essential to developing a strong prayer life.
-You have before you, the entire prayer course. For a deeper understanding of prayer, we suggest that you either purchase or borrow a copy of Richard Foster’s “Prayer”. Most libraries will carry a copy or be able to find one for you. You can buy one online quite easily at Amazon.com or if you like, you can send us a check for $20.00 and we will send you a copy.
-We have taken 10 of the 21 chapters in Foster’s book to encapsulate prayer for this course as we also use this for brand new believers and not just brand new disciples. So, even though we have trimmed down the fullness of this study’s possibility, it is still packed with a lot of insight on what your prayer life could be.
-I encourage you to incorporate the different types of prayer into your prayer life as you are able. You may find that some of them are not quite your niche, but you may also discover that you are missing out on an opportunity to go much deeper with God than you ever thought possible.
-Do your best not to read ahead in the lesson sheets and to only do one lesson per week. Slow study is preferred over quick skimming that does not allow for the truth contained in these lessons to steep into our hearts. This is probably our longest course and that is because it takes time to retrain our lives for the purpose of prayer.
-Each time you finish a session, I invite you to e-mail your summaries to us at emberfoundry@gmail.com with. “Foundry School” in the subject heading and we will then engage you in discussion based on your answers and review the course with you through a short series of emails that serve to support you as you digest the material. Your facilitator will also be praying with you and for you during the course. Our hope is that you will continue on with the rest of the Foundry courses also.
INTRODUCTION:
The “Prayer” course is first in our school because it is shown in scripture to be indispensible in the lives of the saints and in the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This course, being extracted from Richard Foster’s book of the same title, is written from two different individual perspectives. Our team members went through each chapter of Foster’s book and studies and applied his teachings on prayer over the course of many months. They have digested them in their heavy form and have endeavored here to present them to you in a form that is easily accessible but still full of meaningful impact for your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, as you read through the lessons and learn about the different forms of prayer available to us, you will notice that the writing style and stories may sound like they are coming from different people. That is because they are. May God bless you as you enter the wonderful world of prayer.
In His Power,
Dave Warren
Dir. The Foundry School
Session 1:
Prayer is step one.
Prayer is a crucial element in the life of the disciple.
Ephesians 6:18-19
18 With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Prayer is the means of communication between God and His children.
Luke 18:1-8
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ' Give me legal protection from my opponent.' 4 "For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
NASU
Prayer does not have to be difficult though. If we were to look at the many different types of prayer that we are about to discover as if they were types of cake, we discover that there are varying degrees of difficulty when making cakes. It is foolish to start baking the most difficult cake recipe possible if you have never made one. It is wiser to start with the “easy-bake” version of your favorite cake. Yes, you too can pray in a way so simple that it is like baking with a light bulb[1].
For the new Christian, “Easy-Prayer” is simply what we would call a prayer of petition. That is a simple form of prayer in which you ask God for answers or gifts or whatever it is that is on your mind. Often seen as a self-centered form of prayer, it is one that is taught to us by Jesus in
Luke 11:9-13
9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
NASU
So, logically, we can assume that if we are going to approach our Heavenly Father, we can and should approach Him in much the same manner that children approach their earthly fathers; with much requesting that often breaks into the realm of begging and whining. God would rather have you complain and beg of Him than not have you talk with Him at all. Yes, He loves you that much.
Without prayer, darkness prevails, heaven remains silent and the Church is paralyzed when it comes to the gates of Hell.
With prayer, thunder gathers in the heavens and the kingdoms of this world shake at the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
With prayer, heaven invades earth and we find ourselves in divine partnership with the passion of the Almighty God.
Prayerlessness is the cancer that has devastated the spiritual effectiveness of the Church in this age. A return to a devotional prayer life will bring healing to the Church and the world to which we have been sent as ambassadors of the love of God and of His Kingdom.
James 5:16-17
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Mark 11:22-25
A Have faith in God. 23 " Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
Matthew 9:36-38
36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, " The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
Prayer, while it is a critical organ in the life of the Body of Christ, does not need to be a complicated or difficult thing. The very first thing we learn about prayer is that it is simple.
Notes:
Homework:
o Set aside a specific time for the duration of this course for daily prayer. You will begin to cherish this time away with the Lord as you learn that prayer does not have to be drudgery and is designed to be a source of life for your heart.
Session 2:
The Prayer of Examen
Basically, the prayer of examen is about opening up your heart to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He knows you better than you know yourself and although you pay feel like you are doing well in a certain area of your life, He may feel differently. The same is true about our self-condemnation. Some of the things we see as weaknesses or blemishes in our lives don’t concern Him at all. This is a prayer that we should practice constantly and be open to his direction at all times.
For starters, spend some time just listening to God and allowing Him to speak to your heart about whatever He wants. Then ask Him to reveal to you what areas you still need to hand over to Him and where you may need to spend some time steeping in Him.
Notes:
The Prayer of Tears
Scripture declares that Jesus is with those who are in sorrow. Matthew 5:4.
If prayer is communication with God and God promises His comfort when we mourn, it stands to reason that our tears (when directed toward God) are all prayers.
The book of Psalms (56:8) tells us that God collects our tears in a bottle. It is this image of how precious our tears are to Him that we discover the heart of God for us. He loves us. I know that when I see my children crying, my heart is moved toward them. God’s heart, already being toward us, is only more present when we cry out to Him.
Don’t be afraid to cry (even if you don’t actually shed real tears for this) out to God when you are in pain. It is one of the things that He does so very well; comforting His children.
Notes:
The Prayer of Relinquishment
Relinquishment is more about realizing a better way than it is about giving up in reluctance. Often times, when we are praying, God can reveal to us something that we need to hand over (as in the prayer of examen). We then have a decision to make. Do we hold on to that issue that He has asked us for, do we hand it over in thankfulness that He has offered to take it from us or do we hand it to Him with a reluctant heart that wishes we did not have to? The latter tends to produce resentment and can lead us directly back to the same problem again.
The prayer of relinquishment is about gratefully handing stuff over to God when He asks for it. This takes practice and it takes experience to learn that He only takes what needs to be taken for our own good. Your heavenly Father is totally trustworthy.
Notes:
Homework:
Write a paragraph of summary of your own thoughts and insights into these types of prayer as you incorporate them into your regular prayer time.
Session 3
The Prayer of Adoration
When we think about ‘prayer’, we associate it with asking for something for ourselves or for someone else. The Prayer of Adoration, while it is a prayer, is not about receiving, but about giving. Two key words come into play when we’re discussing the Prayer of Adoration: Thanksgiving and Praise.
It is important to understand the distinction between these two words in regards to applying them in prayer to God. [2]Thanksgiving is giving glory to God for what He has done for us. Praise is giving glory to God for who He is in Himself. In the Prayer of Adoration, these two expressions intertwine or mesh together to be a sweet sound in His ear. The scriptures are filled with words of thanksgiving and praise direct to God, and for God.
Psalms 35:18
“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; I will praise you among many people.”
It is difficult for us to handle the idea of us ‘blessing’ God, but that is exactly what the Prayer of Adoration is. Because we know how simple and sinful we are, we feel unworthy or incapable of actually blessing the Most High God. Perhaps it is easier to explain in a scenario we have all witnessed or can at least imagine. A little boy comes running in the house with his hand behind his back. He approaches his mother with a big smile on his face and reveals a bouquet of dandelions he has picked from the front yard. The mother kneels down, takes the flowers, and gives her son a hug and kiss of appreciation. This true story has happened millions of times, including in my own boyhood, and I remember the smile on my mother’s face as she put these common yard weeds in a cup of water and placed them on the table as a centerpiece. In that moment, though I’m sure it was short lived; my attention was solely on giving my mother praise because I loved her. Our praise and thanksgiving to God can be just as simple and plain as those dandelions.
The Prayer of Adoration must be learned.
The first step to enter into this form of prayer is to begin with thanksgiving; thanking Him for the simplest things in your life. When our attention is on thanking Him, we find many things to be thankful for. Search for those little “hidden” things we often overlook. Nature is full of life and God’s handy work. Take some time to look at what He has made and thank Him for it. Don’t analyze it or try to figure out why and how He did it, just enjoy it and thank Him for it. Find that place in your life where you are most at ease. It may be in a park, or sitting by a creek, or in front of a crackling fire. Wherever, or whatever, your place is, go there, even if only in your imagination, and focus of thanking Him for what makes that place what it is.
The next step is praise. Focus your attention to praising Him. This can be done through word, song, or action. Find what works easiest for you. King David grasped the importance of offering praises to God and commissioned people with the sole purpose of singing praises to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 16:4-14
4 He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.
8 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
10 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac.
17 He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your inheritance."
19 When they were only a few in number, Very few, and strangers in it,
20 And they wandered about from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,
22 "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
24 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the Lord in holy array.
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns."
32 Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord; For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
35 Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise."
36 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. Then all the people said, "Amen," and praised the Lord.
NASV
Countless songs have been written as a praise to God; ‘Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name…’, ‘All hail King Jesus, all hail Emmanuel…’, ‘I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you…’ and hundreds more. Some of these are taken from scripture, some are more modern expressions, but they all serve the purpose of offering praise to God. As we enter into praise, we find ourselves separated from the hustle and bustle of life with all its demands and our attention is drawn only toward God. It is during these times that you may sing words that have never been put to a song, repeat the same phrase over and over, dance, laugh, cry, or any number or combination of expressions. Do not limit yourself on how you praise. Be open and allow yourself to be drawn in closer to The King of Kings through your praise. Remember, God longs for you, He desires you, he loves your praise and He welcomes it with open arms.
We are now ready for the final step in this Prayer of Adoration; Magnifying God. To magnify something, you make it bigger than it appears. When we magnify ourselves, it’s boasting and dangerous, but when it comes to God, we simply can’t magnify Him enough. Regardless as to how much we build Him up, we can never exaggerate too much about His goodness, mercy, and love. We can begin this part of the Prayer of Adoration by turning to almost every scripture in Psalms. [3]In nearly every passage, the Psalmist aids us in magnifying God.
Psalms 34:3
“Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together”
[4]Allow these words to be your words. In time, these words will become your own, and you may find your own words to magnify God. You will enter in to a state of celebration, celebrating God. This celebration may take place with others, or just you and God. But remember, even when it is just the two of you, there is a host of angelic beings constantly praising, magnifying, and adoring the Lord God. You are never going to be the only one adoring God.
We have come a long way from simply thanking God to adoring Him with the angels, but keep in mind, this is a process. Allow yourself time to learn and adjust to this new form of prayer. Guard yourself against obstacles that can hinder this prayer. Avoid letting life’s rat race keep you from thanking and praising Him, be careful not to give too much attention to the detail of things and just enjoy the marvels He has created. In other words, don’t analyze things so much that you miss the opportunity to simply enjoy them. Also be watchful of conceit. Once we begin to see the beauty of God’s work and spend time praising His majesty, we can become frustrated with those who can’t see it. Remember, we were all there once too and only by His love and mercy were we able to be transformed into what we are now, and we still have a lot of transforming yet to undergo. Show that same love and mercy for those who have yet to experience the joy of true thanksgiving, praise, and magnifying God.
I leave you with this scripture.
1 Timothy 1:17:
“But in God’s time, and in God’s way, we are led irresistibly into the adoration of Him who is eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.”
Notes:
Meditative Prayer
Simply put, Meditative prayer is about thinking on the things above. Where your mind is, there your heart is. Scripture implores us to do this on a regular basis.
A good place to start would be to just find a nice quiet time and place, put on some peaceful music (no words) and just find one good God thought to think upon. Some examples for what to think about are:
The Cross
Mercy
Grace
Love
Heaven
A specific miracle that Jesus performed like turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead.
Notes:
Homework:
Write a paragraph of summary of your own thoughts and insights into these types of prayer as you incorporate them into your regular prayer time .
Session 4:
Praying the Ordinary
Heresy is what we call a teaching that sounds good, but really draws one away from the truth that sets them free. Some false teachings can promise freedom, but actually lead us into deeper captivity in our hearts and minds than we are presently in. There is an ancient heresy called “dualism” that has beset the Church since its birth. We often overlook dualism because we don’t know how devastating it can be to our lives. What dualism teaches is that natural things are evil and only spiritual things are good. Extreme teachings and practices are born out of this heresy like self-flagellation (causing physical injury to self in order to punish the evil body that our good spirits live in) or not dancing because we enjoy it too much. Some religious groups even went so far as to say that sexual intercourse was evil and they eventually died off for lack of biological growth.
Many new disciples are prone to gravitate toward an extreme view that the only way they can meet with God in prayer is in a prayer meeting or on their knees or after fasting for many days. They are tempted to abandon the things they used to enjoy even when they were not sinful because they claim it takes away from their “quiet time” with God. While it is true that God can and does call us away to be with Him in the quiet hour, this does not mean that He cannot or does not want to meet with us in the midst of the activity of our daily lives.
In order to avoid and overcome dualism in our approach to prayer, we practice prayer even in the ordinary things. “Whether we are writing a novel or cleaning a latrine…It is precisely in the slop-bucket job--the work we abhor—where we will find God the most.” [5]
1 Corinthians 10:31-32
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
NASU
It is important to remember that God sanctified the natural world by becoming flesh. Jesus was without sin and yet his body was very real and He loved this world enough to die for it. When we go to work and do well at that work, we are praying to and honoring God. When we change a diaper or trim a tree in His strength, we are glorifying our Maker by living to full potential in Him. Even in our recreation, we can glorify Him. We learn from Paul that even the things way we eat can be a prayer to God.
Embrace this form of prayer and know that your Heavenly Father is receiving every word of it.
Notes:
Intercessory Prayer
The word intercede means “to come between”.
Our love for our neighbors (which is a fruit of an intimate walk with Christ) will compel us to desire only what God’s power can offer them. Intercessory prayer is simply becoming a conduit for the love and power of God into the lives of those around us.
God desires to partner with us in all that He does. Most days, He is simply looking for someone to join with Him in something He is already intending to do.
I recall a specific time while I was in college that God called on me to intercede for one of my fellow class mates. I was walking down our dorm hallway on my way to dinner. When I passed my friend’s room, a thought entered my mind to pray for him. I dismissed it instantly because I was much more interested in eating my dinner. I opened the door to the stairway and I immediately fell to the ground as it felt like a bale of hay landed on my head. I could not get back up as I was prostrate on the stairs with my head about five steps below my feet. I was pinned there and could not move. Not only could I not move a muscle, I could not think of any other thing that my friend’s name and that I must pray for his rescue. I obeyed more out of fear than I did love in that moment, but I obeyed none the less. After what seemed like about 20 minutes, I was finally able to move from where I was. I had no more thoughts for dinner as I repented of my self-centered mindset and headed back up to my friend’s room. I found his door cracked open slightly and I peeked in to discover my friend weeping on his bed. After further investigation, I learned that he was about to throw himself from the window and commit suicide when about 10 minutes ago (which would have been halfway through my prayer of intercession) he heard what he claimed was an angel speak to him. He was thinking he had nothing left to live for and was in so much emotional pain when a voice from Heaven came to comfort him and encourage him to keep going.
Some may shrink back from that story because of the violent nature in which the Spirit brought me into prayer, but I tend to think He knew I would appreciate His forceful invitation in the end. There was much work left to do with my friend’s heart, but because God invited me to participate with Him in intercession, he was still around to be nurtured and brought into a stronger relationship with God. To this day, my friend is still walking with God and trusting Him with his problems.
Notes:
Healing Prayer
Simply put, this is a prayer for healing from physical, spiritual or emotional ailments that may be intertwined beyond our understanding. The power for healing comes from God, but the authority to pray for it has been given to the Church. There is much that is beyond our intellect, but the power is available to us. As we grow in this, step by step, our prayers of healing will become more fruitful.
One very important lesson to learn when it comes to healing prayer is that healing prayer is highly effective when it is ran on a motor of love. The example Jesus gave us in scripture is clear. Take the time now to read through the following scriptures and note that Jesus’ own prayers of healing were born out of His primary motivation of love; it was His compassion that Jesus drew upon in order to effect healing in those around Him. Even the cross itself was born out of God’s love for humanity (John 3:16).
Matthew 9:36-10:1
36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
10 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Matthew 14:14
4 When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.
Matthew 15:32-38
32 And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." 33 The disciples said to Him, "Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?" 34 And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish." 35 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; 36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. 38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 20:29-34
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 33 They said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened." 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Mark 1:40-43
And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
Luke 7:11-17
11 Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" 17 This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.
NASV
Notes:
Homework:
Write a paragraph of summary of your own thoughts and insights into these types of prayer as you incorporate them into your regular prayer time.
Session 5:
Authoritative Prayer
One cannot be a person of authority until they are a person under authority. The key to walking in the authority of the Holy Spirit is to submit to His authority in your life. Walk obediently to Him and when you speak in the name of Christ Jesus, you will see results you never thought possible.
It is important to remember that authority and power are two different things. You may be given authority to speak on behalf of another, but the power to do so will always reside with the one who has given you the authority.
For example, when a 110 pound female police officer stands in front of my ½ ton automobile, it is not her own ability or strength that compels me to stop. It is the badge she is wearing and the power that backs her up that causes me to make the positive decision to stop my car.
Goliath was taken out by the God of Israel through his chosen vessel, David, not the child’s sling and stone.
Step one for practicing this kind of prayer is to place yourself under authority. Step two is to partner with another person who is well-versed in this type of prayer. Step three is to meditate on your source of power, Jesus Christ in you.
Notes:
Radical Prayer
Radical prayer is about transformation. Built on a regular practice of the prayer of examen and authoritative prayer, Radical prayer is the practice of taking an offensive nature and overcoming darkness with light. Here we are talking about spiritual warfare on its most basic and common level.
When you (the light of the world, Matthew 5:14) walk into the darkness, you have the choice to let that light shine or to cover it up. Allowing God to show you where you are covering your light and understanding where that source of light is coming from will enable you to shine with the brightness of a thousand stars in this dark world. That is totally rad.
Notes:
Homework:
Write a paragraph of summary of your own thoughts and insights into these types of prayer as you incorporate them into your regular prayer time.
You Have Finished the Prayer Course!!!
[1] Easy-Bake Oven is a registered trademark of Hasbro Toy Company and it actually uses a light bulb to bake small cakes and cookies. My sisters used them often when I was growing up.
[2] Prayer by Richard Foster pg.83
[3] Prayer by Richard Foster pg.89
[4] Prayer by Richard Foster pg.90
[5] Prayer by Richard Foster pg. 172, 173
