Tag: Prayer

Evelyn Underhill -On Prayer, and mysticism

In the next few weeks, I’m concentrating my studies on Evelyn Underhill (1875-1942), one of  the most read, and prolific writers in the first half of the 20th century on the topic of Christian mysticism and prayer. Her devotion to God in prayer, and her insights on growth in the spiritual life put her at the forefront of those disciplines in the Anglican Church.

Here is my first fascinating thought from Evelyn, I’ve come across. Chime in with your comments, or insights. Maybe you can Google her, or look up some of her work, and place a quote that strikes you powerfully.

On mysticism:

The soul’s real progress is not toward some mysterious, abnormal, trance-like condition; but rather towards the unspoilt, trustful, unsophisticated, apprehension of a little child.

-Evelyn Underhill

My Favorite Prayer about Spiritual Growth

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

(Eph. 3:14-21 NLT)

 

Thoughts? Comments?

Today's Prayer

From The Book of Common Prayer, 1662

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit , one God, for ever and ever. -Amen.

Taken from page 70, Epiphany, Week 4,

“Holy Bible: Mosaic” (Tyndale 2009)

Prayer-The Hope of Kingdom Come

A most calming, most hopeful way to see prayer in the light of Stanley Grenz describes it in his book, Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom. (Eerdmans, 1998) He says that every prayer is eschatological (related to end times). By this he means that prayer is the cry, the longing, and the hope of God’s will coming in the culmination of all things. That time when God wipes our tears, rights all wrongs, and the fullness of time and creation enters into the Consummation of the Story of God-theologically speaking. It is a response and movement toward God and faith, and his plan of redemption in the ultimate sense.

Just the same, Jesus prayed for what else? “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s kingdom, spiritual is here now, thanks to our Messiah Kin. Redemption has been won. Yet, as we all know the earth groans to be restored, tragedies happen, evil is committed, and not all is well with people and the world. This is the cry of prayer, in every nation and tongue.

Have you ever seen prayer this way?