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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 31, 2005 OPEN ENDED PRAYER CONNECTS |
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Frontline Devotion for Thursday, March 31, 2005 By Pastor
Dave Sonnenberg
FURTHER EXPLORATION IN PRAYER- Open Ended Prayer Connects
We’ve seen the images a thousand times on TV- namely, the person stranded on a
desert Island who writes a note, puts it in a bottle and then throws it in the
ocean. They throw it in with the hopes that somewhere in the world,
somebody will find it and be moved to action. (Obviously in that scenario-
the hope is that the person will form a search and rescue squad.)
I have been pondering that image as I pray. Prayer is a personal
experience, but prayer need not be viewed as something that is in complete
isolation. Reflective prayer can draw us in to an experience whereby we
feel connected to others, even if we don’t know who they are. . .
Now, before I lose you with overly cerebral stuff, allow me to explain.
Last Sunday, I tried a little experiment as I prayed in church. I was
leading the prayers, but instead of writing long prayers, I simply “threw
out” a statement to allow people to focus on and then left time for silent
reflection. For example, “let us lift up people and places for whom we
are concerned. . . .” “Let us lift up issues in life which we need
God’s guidance. . .” “Let us give God the things that trouble us and
hold us back. . .”
Some will call this guided prayer but what I found was that I felt connected to
others in a profound way. When you throw out “open ended” prayers and
allow others the opportunity to be drawn in and silently add their own unique
twist to the prayer, something dynamic happens.
We are partners in prayer in this world. Perhaps in our own prayer
life, we might try stating some open ended petitions and then sit in silence and
allow the Spirit to take over and see what happens. I believe that
our open ended prayers connect us to people all across the globe. We each
add our own spin to the prayer but the key thing to remember: all our prayer is
directed toward the one who creates, sustains, and saves us Christ Jesus.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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