Monday, February 04, 2008

starting to think of others

thanks to everyone who commented on the last two posts... some great points and more importantly some great questions. there is so much future content in those comments, you don't even know what you've started.... :-)

i'm still trying to figure out the prayer group thing. i probably just need to step out and invite some people, but i'm unsure about a lot of things. who to invite and how often are the biggest things. and like novagirl, i'm still trying to figure out why some would be more open to this than others. and shooey, you are right... there are a million followers of a million different schools of thought. but i don't think this is about that. i really think that pursuing this would be a way of pursuing a healthy and holy arm of the christian community. it would be about meeting together to encourage each other and just talk to god. we'd lift each other and others up in prayer.

lately i have been trying to pray for others on my own more. my first instinct is always to journal about myself; what's happened to me and what i'm thinking and feeling. i've been trying to at least pray/write some about others' hopes and desires and situations. i think that's a good step.

1 comment:

Ame said...

"i'm still trying to figure out why some would be more open to this than others"

Just some guesses - the more deeply intimate one is with Jesus, the easier/more natural to pray alone and with and for others. Also, having the spiritual gift of prayer makes one more open ... while being negative on the gift of prayer might make one more hesitant. And another thought, some personalities just wouldn't go there - neither good nor bad; just is.

But it seems you have a passion for this ... stay with it ... see where God takes you with it. It's kinda like moving through a path in the jungle ... you know there's an end, a clearing, a destination, but you have to get through the bush first. Keep putting pieces in the puzzle, and the picture will become more clear over time.

It takes guts to step out and do something like this - the "work or wait," the "tension." Good for you. My Mentor always said, "Now, take your two steps back." I wish I remembered that more often ;) . It's kinda like an inch worm - we move forward, then stretch out again. If we're continuously balled up and moving forward, never taking time to stretch out and regroup, I think we miss a lot ... and we miss opportunities for God to speak and lead.

When you look at people in the Bible, they *did* something. They weren't always right, but they always did something. It was credited to Abraham as righteousness, but he lied about his wife ... well, half-lied/white-lied ... still, he lied. And you know the thing that amazes me there? It wasn't Abraham that got in trouble, it was the kings!

Anyway ... fwiw ... just thinking "out loud" again. I like the way you think.