Jump directly to the Content

Prayer: From Seeker to Sought

This month, let's consider the spiritual practice of prayer. Prayer not as ritual but as a means to relationship; as conversation initiated by the Holy Spirit, in which our primary role is to listen.
"What prompts us to seek God, to speak and hope he hears us? Perhaps we think it is the emptiness of our lives without him, that God-shaped vacuum in our souls, our desire for meaning and significance. Okay, yes. But where does our desire for God come from? Are we seeking or responding? Do we start the conversation or does God?"
(from Listen: Finding God in the Story of Your Life)

This month, let's consider the spiritual practice of prayer. Prayer not as ritual but as a means to relationship; as conversation initiated by the Holy Spirit, in which our primary role is to listen.

In her excellent book Soul Feast, Marjorie Thompson writes: "Like the spiritual life itself, prayer is initiated by God. No matter what we think about the origin of our prayers, they are all a response to the hidden workings of the spirit within. God's desire for us ignites the spark of our desire for God."

In Listen, I add: "When I feel a desire to pray, it is God's spirit that stirs up that desire in the first place. ...

April
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

From the Magazine
I Wanted a Bigger God Than My Hindu Guru Offered
I Wanted a Bigger God Than My Hindu Guru Offered
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close