Spiritual Direction
Growing a transforming friendship with Jesus is unlikely without ruthlessly eliminating hurry (Dallas Willard) from our lives. Finding Home is an aid to slowing down—no book, no reading ahead, no bingeing on information, no controlling the process, no overachieving. By disrupting our usual rhythm of life, we create space where new possibilities can emerge. Choose to slow down.
Exploring
Jesus’ invitation to “ask whatever you wish,”[1] concerning his purpose and possibilities for our lives, brings up the issue of prayer.
Like any relationship, a transforming friendship with Jesus involves dialogue—both listening and responding. This is prayer. “Prayer is talking with God about what we’re thinking and doing together, about us sharing our concerns and God sharing his concerns for us.”[2]
Contrary to common practice, prayer is not an activity. It is a way of being.
The goal is not to develop a prayer life but to develop a praying life. Prayer is not compartmentalized to a “quiet time,” prayer meeting, or church service. Thus, to “pray without ceasing”[3] is to live in the active awareness of Jesus’ presence through the Holy Spirit, who makes Jesus’ invitations and ministry alive to us.
Prayer is simply sharing our inner lives with Christ and being attentive and responsive to his invitations.
Question
What is your biggest obstacle to this kind of personal dialogue with Jesus?
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John 15:7.
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Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, 243.
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1 Thessalonians 5:17.