This is the first (I know, I missed the boat on chapters #1 and #2) of my weekly chapter reviews on Richard Foster’s “Celebration Of Discipline”. 
This is an initiative proposed by “Messy Christian“, whose honest and candid writing I enjoy.
In conversation the other day, a friend and I started talking about how posture affects prayer. I’m not talking about the effects of your prayer, but rather your attitude, your thoughts, even your language, while you pray.
For example, if I stand tall and raise my hands to the sky to pray, I can’t help feeling a little exhilarated. If I pray on bended knee, head bowed, in a position of submission and servitute, I can’t help feeling a little humble. If I pray lying down, I feel relaxed, and easy. If I lay hands on somebody and pray for them, I feel protective.
So yes, posture does affect my prayer.
Some days, I approach prayer like I do brushing my teeth:
I have a quiet time, rattle a list of thanks and requests off to God, and then I’m up and off, the day awaits! Richard Foster writes:
“Soren Kierkengaard once observed: ‘ A man prayed, and at first he though that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realised that prayer is listening’
and:
Answers to prayer are wonderful, but they only secondary to the main function of prayer, which is a growing perpetual communion.
I need to listen more when I pray. I want to become like Martin Luther, who declared:
‘I have so much business that I cannot get on with it without spending three hours daily in prayer’.
As Richard points out, the example of these “spiritual giants” is sometimes so overwhelming and intimidating.
3 hours! Where do you find 3 hours in this mad world? I guess that’s not the point. The point is, where, on my list of daily priorities, does prayer lie? I’m willing to stay up late running this blog - am I willing to get up early to pray instead?
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My name is David Young, I run Inspirational Journal in my spare time because I enjoy the content, and I think it should be shared. Enjoy!
I’m willing to stay up late running this blog - am I willing to get up early to pray instead?
Man, you’re so right … it does put things in perspective. I just hope that Foster’s new prayer techniques does rejuvenate us somewhat.
And spiritual giants? To me, it’s like - well, of course he can pray for three hours! he’s Martin Luther/Charles Spurgeon/etc etc.
I don’t know how to listen though. TO listen means to be quiet, and when I become quiet, I start doing things like thinking about television and my fav actors.