Introduction
Prayer is a powerful, intimate, relational discipline used to express to God all the areas of one’s heart. This essay has been written to reflect on what I have come to understand about prayer as a spiritual discipline. I will briefly explore Teresa Avila, a significant Christian in history who has expressed the importance of prayer and take a look into how both Catholic and Pentecostal denominations pray.
Summarise your original understanding of the discipline before the course started
Previous to starting the Certificate IV in Ministry, prayer was an important part of my faith. I regularly prayed, both individually with my husband, our children and in the Bible Study we attend. However, I hadn’t thought of prayer as being a …show more content…
Although she was nun, she still had critics. One statement was made that, “she is a restless disobedient gadabout”. Through her prayer life, Avila has left a powerful prayer legacy behind her.
Compare at least one other denomination’s understanding of this discipline.
The Catholic Church pray not only directly to God, but also to those who are close to God. They pray to the angels, they pray to the saints in heaven, they pray to the Blessed Mother, to ask her to beg her Son to hear their prayers. Also they pray not only on their own behalf, but also on the behalf of the souls in purgatory.
In comparison to the Catholic denomination, the Pentecostal denomination understands prayer as a personal relationship with the Triune God. God the Father, Son and a big aspect is the Holy Spirit. Pentecostal Christians demonstrate adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication in their prayer time. Pentecostal prayer can also include speaking in tongues. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance”. (Acts …show more content…
This was beneficial for those who where illiterate as they could recite and memorise the verses. As a church body, in times of worship and prayer with hands lifted high, praying and believing for God to reveal himself, I am reminded of, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Ephesians 5:19-20).
Reflection on original ideas
Prayer has always been an important part of my Christianity. Becoming a Bible College student has encouraged me more in my prayer life. Developing an awareness of the different styles of prayer from breath prayer, which concentrates on breathing and repeating a one sentence prayer, to intercessory prayer, standing in the gap for others in prayer. I have learnt to allow the worries to dissolve into prayers. This has enriched my prayer life.
Encouraging the practise of this discipline
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35). Jesus prayed regularly. He also made it clear to his followers that prayer is important. He goes to great lengths to highlight this for us. He gives us an example of how to
Prayer is a powerful, intimate, relational discipline used to express to God all the areas of one’s heart. This essay has been written to reflect on what I have come to understand about prayer as a spiritual discipline. I will briefly explore Teresa Avila, a significant Christian in history who has expressed the importance of prayer and take a look into how both Catholic and Pentecostal denominations pray.
Summarise your original understanding of the discipline before the course started
Previous to starting the Certificate IV in Ministry, prayer was an important part of my faith. I regularly prayed, both individually with my husband, our children and in the Bible Study we attend. However, I hadn’t thought of prayer as being a …show more content…
Although she was nun, she still had critics. One statement was made that, “she is a restless disobedient gadabout”. Through her prayer life, Avila has left a powerful prayer legacy behind her.
Compare at least one other denomination’s understanding of this discipline.
The Catholic Church pray not only directly to God, but also to those who are close to God. They pray to the angels, they pray to the saints in heaven, they pray to the Blessed Mother, to ask her to beg her Son to hear their prayers. Also they pray not only on their own behalf, but also on the behalf of the souls in purgatory.
In comparison to the Catholic denomination, the Pentecostal denomination understands prayer as a personal relationship with the Triune God. God the Father, Son and a big aspect is the Holy Spirit. Pentecostal Christians demonstrate adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication in their prayer time. Pentecostal prayer can also include speaking in tongues. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance”. (Acts …show more content…
This was beneficial for those who where illiterate as they could recite and memorise the verses. As a church body, in times of worship and prayer with hands lifted high, praying and believing for God to reveal himself, I am reminded of, “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Ephesians 5:19-20).
Reflection on original ideas
Prayer has always been an important part of my Christianity. Becoming a Bible College student has encouraged me more in my prayer life. Developing an awareness of the different styles of prayer from breath prayer, which concentrates on breathing and repeating a one sentence prayer, to intercessory prayer, standing in the gap for others in prayer. I have learnt to allow the worries to dissolve into prayers. This has enriched my prayer life.
Encouraging the practise of this discipline
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35). Jesus prayed regularly. He also made it clear to his followers that prayer is important. He goes to great lengths to highlight this for us. He gives us an example of how to