January 5/20 AM DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER

We will begin by looking at a number of Spiritual Disciplines as we focus this year on growing our relationship with Jesus.  Richard Foster has written an important book on spiritual disciplines, Celebration of Disciple: the Path to Spiritual Growth, which will be a main reference through this series.  The spiritual disciplines are spiritual practices the Church has developed over the centuries to help us develop our relationship with Jesus, to grow stronger in our faith and to intertwine what we believe with how we live.  We are beginning our journey through the spiritual disciples by reflecting on Luke 11:1-13, The Discipline of Prayer.  Prayer is the gift of communication, the opportunity to share with God what is going on in our lives and a time to listen for his quiet, gentle, or not so gentle leading in our lives.  Prayer is rooted in God’s glory and shapes us by drawing us into His presence on a regular basis