These prayer forms are intended to lead you toward a meaningful daily time of solitude with God, so that by the power of His Spirit you may draw closer to Him and be used more effectively in His service. (“They all joined together constantly in prayer.” Acts. 1:14)
African Bible Study - form of group prayer, flowing from Scripture, was introduced by the African Delegation to the Lambeth Conference of the Aglican Church. In some ways it is similar to the Lectio Divina (a reflective reading and praying of Scriptures).
Breathing Prayer - is a way of helping us open up to the Holy Spirit’s life giving breath (John 20:22), particularly as we begin our time of prayer. A brief process of breathing prayer is described.
Centering Prayer – This prayer helps us to quiet our hearts and minds, to focus our attention on Jesus, and to rest in the presence of God.
Concert of Prayer – This may be used at a congregational gathering (e.g. meal, workshop, etc.) Each of the 4-6 sessions of prayer has a hymn, Scripture, and instructions for prayer conversations. Every table becomes a prayer group.
Discerning God's Will – What does God want us to do? How will we know for sure? How do we individually and as a congregation “discern what is the will of God” (Romans 12:1-2) and then seek his blessing on the decision? This article describes a prayerful process and provides resources to assist the congregation.
Examen – (Ignatius, 1491-1556 AD) The examen of “consciousness” is a prayer by which we discover how God has been present with us and how we have responded to His presence throughout the day. A description of this process is included. Another form currently being practiced is the “examination of conscience”, which involves confession and forgiveness.
Listening Prayer - Listening prayer enables us to deepen our relationship with God through meditation on His Word.
Healing Prayer - This provides Biblical and historical background, current usage, and resources for a congregation to begin thinking about establishing an intentional healing ministry.
Jesus Prayer – We take seriously that there is power in the Name of Jesus when we say this simple prayer.
Labyrinth - While resembling a maze, this ancient form of prayer enables one to “walk a type of personal pilgrimage.” It gives us a time and place for reflection, meditation, prayer, and comfort. Trusting the path, we re-emerge from the labyrinth changed by our encounter with God. A history and description is provided here.
Lord's Prayer - A Bible study on our Lord's Prayer using the explanations from Luther's catechism and reflective questions. (Luke 11:1-13 & Matthew 6:5-13)
Lectio Divina– (“Sacred Reading”) Developed by St. Benedict (480-547 AD) in his Rule, this ancient form of prayer helps us to listen more deeply to the voice of God in His Word and to experience Him in our daily life of service.
Praying in Color - This type of prayer adds another dimension to prayer life that instills hope for those who have struggled in their prayer life with distractions, a restless body, or short attention spans. It uses words, visual images, and drawing to aid our praying. A description and resources are included.
Vigil - Normally a 24 hour time of focused prayer for the congregation. This resource will assist with planning and execution of this day of prayer.