Can You Slow Down for Prayer?

Every once in a while you read a book that changes your life. Really.  

Last week I finished reading Richard Foster’s new book titled Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2013).Foster takes you on a journey to deepen your prayer life. He challenges you to slow down, to pause, and to truly listen to God.

So many people these days lead frenetically paced lives- lives that are absorbed in technology and that are utilizing some kind of technological media. Even the thought of “unplugging” for a day or two can be unsettling.

To help deepen your relationship with God, I would encourage you to take just 10 minutes each day for prayer. Set aside time to be still, to offer your prayers to God, and, most importantly, listen to what God might be saying to you. 

Here is a quote from Foster that captures his challenge for all of us:

"It feels almost sacrilegious to transition from words that have been cut and chiseled and polished to something as prosaic as a meditation experience. I want to provide you with a simple handle for dealing with a wandering mind. I call this meditation experience, for lack of a better name, ‘pull the plugs.’ (p.110)"

Joy in the Journey,

Pastor Durk K. Peterson