Intimate Prayer, contemplative, meditative, Christian, creative

5 Ways to Remain Faithful in Prayer
(c) Wanda Schwandt 2001

The season of Lent is not the only time set aside for contemplation and introspection. Everyone needs to increase devotion to prayer and closeness to God. Here are 5 ways to stay connected in and out of season.

The season of Lent is a time of contemplation and introspection. Its a time to increase your devotion to prayer and your closeness to God. King David reminds us to “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.” (Psalm 105:4 RSV) We cannot grow unless we remain connected to the Creator.

Christ spoke: “I am the true Vine, and my Father the Vinedresser… Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1, 4-5 RSV)

To Abide means "to wait, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place." (“Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary” 10th Edition, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Massachusetts, 1999)

As children of God, we have been grafted into the living presence of Christ. We feed from His living water and the sunshine of God’s love. We do not need to struggle to cling to the Vine; He is holding on to us. We need only realize that we are already attached. The longer we are grafted into Him, the more our fiber grows fixed to His. We do not need to struggle to produce fruit either. Fruit is the byproduct of life lived in God’s presence. We burst forth with joy and good works as easily as grapes grow on a healthy plant.

Ways to stay connected:

**A thousand times a day, we receive small blessings from God. Maybe it’s a breath of fresh air, with the fragrance of flowers and earth in it. On a more modern, mundane level, it might even be an unusually light day of traffic. If we were to cultivate the habit of returning blessings to God for all such gifts, we would be in conversation with Him almost continually.”( “Our Prayer Heritage,” Derek Leman, Pray! Magazine, Jan/Feb 2001, pg. 35)

**Set up a small place in your home as a place of prayer, maybe an end table, a comfy chair, near a window with a view of your garden, or the nightstand next to your bed. Add things to this area that welcome you to spend time with God – a candle, your Bible, devotional materials, a picture or flower, pretty stones in a dish or a tabletop fountain. Each time you pass by this space, allow it to draw your thoughts to God. Spend a few moments there each day, quieting your soul, reading a verse or two. Roll Scripture around in your mind and apply it to your life.

**Write verses that are meaningful to you on 3x5 cards to carry with you or use sticky notes to post them around the house.

**Receive a daily or weekly devotion in your email box. There are other prayer sites you may want to visit. Sign up for our free newsletter.
http://www.upperroom.org
http://www.spiritledwoman.com

Even put a prayer altar on your desktop: http://www.pocketchapel.com/

My prayer for you is that you continue to abide, grow and be fruitful in Christ Jesus.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Intimate Prayer celebrates the mysterious flow of love between God, you and others through prayer. Featured here are a variety of prayer styles which aim to direct your heart toward God.
*"Prayer is the inner bath into which the soul plunges itself." - St. John Vianney*
DRAWING NEAR	5 Ways to Remain Faithful in Prayer (c) Wanda Schwandt 2001 The season of Lent is not the only time set aside for contemplation and introspection. Everyone needs to increase devotion to prayer and closeness to God. Here are 5 ways to stay connected in and out of season. The season of Lent is a time of contemplation and introspection. Its a time to increase your devotion to prayer and your closeness to God. King David reminds us to “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.” (Psalm 105:4 RSV) We cannot grow unless we remain connected to the Creator. Christ spoke: “I am the true Vine, and my Father the Vinedresser… Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1, 4-5 RSV) To Abide means "to wait, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place." (“Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary” 10th Edition, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Massachusetts, 1999) As children of God, we have been grafted into the living presence of Christ. We feed from His living water and the sunshine of God’s love. We do not need to struggle to cling to the Vine; He is holding on to us. We need only realize that we are already attached. The longer we are grafted into Him, the more our fiber grows fixed to His. We do not need to struggle to produce fruit either. Fruit is the byproduct of life lived in God’s presence. We burst forth with joy and good works as easily as grapes grow on a healthy plant. Ways to stay connected: A thousand times a day, we receive small blessings from God. Maybe it’s a breath of fresh air, with the fragrance of flowers and earth in it. On a more modern, mundane level, it might even be an unusually light day of traffic. If we were to cultivate the habit of returning blessings to God for all such gifts, we would be in conversation with Him almost continually.”( “Our Prayer Heritage,” Derek Leman, Pray! Magazine, Jan/Feb 2001, pg. 35) Set up a small place in your home as a place of prayer, maybe an end table, a comfy chair, near a window with a view of your garden, or the nightstand next to your bed. Add things to this area that welcome you to spend time with God – a candle, your Bible, devotional materials, a picture or flower, pretty stones in a dish or a tabletop fountain. Each time you pass by this space, allow it to draw your thoughts to God. Spend a few moments there each day, quieting your soul, reading a verse or two. Roll Scripture around in your mind and apply it to your life. Write verses that are meaningful to you on 3x5 cards to carry with you or use sticky notes to post them around the house. Receive a daily or weekly devotion in your email box. There are other prayer sites you may want to visit. Sign up for our free newsletter. http://www.upperroom.org http://www.spiritledwoman.com Even put a prayer altar on your desktop: http://www.pocketchapel.com/ My prayer for you is that you continue to abide, grow and be fruitful in Christ Jesus. RECOMMENDED READING:
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