Pray conversationally
The DNA of Discipleship: Nurturing Relationships 2
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
Hebrews 4:14
Conversational prayer is like any conversation. Someone speaks and someone listens and then responds based on the topic. One person doesn’t talk all the time. People don’t have to repeat themselves in order to be listened to. The conversation flows between all participants.
One way to practice conversational prayer as a group is to decide to say very short prayers where we listen in between. This avoids having to make the prayer ‘sound right’. In order to practice, make the prayers VERY short, like how much can you say comfortably without taking a breath. Then pause and let someone else continue. Don’t be afraid of silence. You can take a breath and continue when there is another pause. You will find that it is easier to keep involved, to pay attention and to sense God guiding your prayer time. There are many different ways to pray, so use the invitation, “Let’s pray conversationally” as a way to help new comers feel comfortable speaking their words out loud.
For Reflection:
- Do you feel comfortable praying out loud?
- What does God think about your prayer?
Make Life Count:
- Try conversational prayer with another person. Be particularly mindful of keeping what you say very short, so you can listen to what others say. Be comfortable with silence.
- Have you tried conversational prayer and what it was like? Have you tried to help someone else pray this way?
Hungry for More?
- Try teaching another person or group to pray conversationally.
Let’s continue the conversation….
