Comments on: A Step Toward Unceasing Prayer: Embracing Discipline and Planning http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/ Passionately pursuing intimacy with God in Christ Thu, 21 Apr 2011 04:55:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-996 Jonathan Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:48:09 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-996 Lorraine: Thanks for the insight. Now if I can just bring myself to get those 3x5 cards.... lol, :) Lorraine: Thanks for the insight. Now if I can just bring myself to get those 3×5 cards….

lol, :)

]]> By: Lorraine http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-995 Lorraine Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:56:54 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-995 Just another thought on a practical note - I had recently tried a little system of using a binder with tabs for categories of prayer - the lost, friends/neighbours, relative, the Body, missions, my country, the world, et al. You get the idea. Well, I found it cumbersome for me personally, and have found that just writing things on 3x5 cards and praying through them works much better. This way I just pick up where I left off in terms of intercession, and each time I spend time in praise/adoration, confession, thanksgiving and just quiet meditation as well. Urgent or time sensitive requests get a coloured card so I remember to pray more often for these things. Just a thought about what has been working to help me in my discipline of prayer. Just another thought on a practical note – I had recently tried a little system of using a binder with tabs for categories of prayer – the lost, friends/neighbours, relative, the Body, missions, my country, the world, et al. You get the idea. Well, I found it cumbersome for me personally, and have found that just writing things on 3×5 cards and praying through them works much better. This way I just pick up where I left off in terms of intercession, and each time I spend time in praise/adoration, confession, thanksgiving and just quiet meditation as well. Urgent or time sensitive requests get a coloured card so I remember to pray more often for these things. Just a thought about what has been working to help me in my discipline of prayer.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-994 Jonathan Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:37:13 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-994 What a great encouragement and challenge. Something that definitely ministered to me. Actually, I was just thinking about planning prayer the other day because my prayer life has been pretty much non-existent. Now I read this. It's amazing how God lead's His children. What a great encouragement and challenge. Something that definitely ministered to me. Actually, I was just thinking about planning prayer the other day because my prayer life has been pretty much non-existent. Now I read this.

It’s amazing how God lead’s His children.

]]> By: yingzhi http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-992 yingzhi Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:58:21 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-992 Thanks, Daniel, for the much needed but not necessarily welcomed reminder that we need discipline and planning to grow in prayer. I detect traces of John Piper: 'wartime mentality', 'duty and delight', and of course, the quote from his book. We need to learn from such saints. Thanks, Daniel, for the much needed but not necessarily welcomed reminder that we need discipline and planning to grow in prayer. I detect traces of John Piper: ‘wartime mentality’, ‘duty and delight’, and of course, the quote from his book. We need to learn from such saints.

]]> By: Ruth http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-991 Ruth Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:47:12 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-991 Hey Daniel, more good reminders here, including the clarification that discipline, by itself, avails nothing. That's just human effort, and I"ve certainly seen that human effort without divine intervention is tiring and ineffective. But you're right, discipline when He is leading us to do something helps us to be consistent and fight battles we need to fight since the devil is so good at coming in and tempting us to stop doing something or be less ethusiastic or fervent about doing something that God has already made clear is important and pleasing to Him. My prayer planning includes starting ever day with prayer and praying on my commute between my home in the country and my job in the city every day. Prayers for direction in how to pray and passion as I pray are usually included, and He so faithfully answers those prayers with strength and joy from His Spirit! I don't always remember it, but praying in the Spirit is a beautiful thing! Hey Daniel, more good reminders here, including the clarification that discipline, by itself, avails nothing. That’s just human effort, and I”ve certainly seen that human effort without divine intervention is tiring and ineffective.

But you’re right, discipline when He is leading us to do something helps us to be consistent and fight battles we need to fight since the devil is so good at coming in and tempting us to stop doing something or be less ethusiastic or fervent about doing something that God has already made clear is important and pleasing to Him. My prayer planning includes starting ever day with prayer and praying on my commute between my home in the country and my job in the city every day. Prayers for direction in how to pray and passion as I pray are usually included, and He so faithfully answers those prayers with strength and joy from His Spirit! I don’t always remember it, but praying in the Spirit is a beautiful thing!

]]> By: Lorraine Allenbach http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-989 Lorraine Allenbach Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:14:42 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-989 Good clarification Daniel - that's it exactly... it is indeed "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness", emphasis on HIS. I am crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ within me - the life I now live, I live by FAITH in the Son of God. I am walking by faith, praising Him for His grace, and enjoying the fruit that is borne by the Spirit. Excellent prayer time today - God is indeed, Good! :-) Good clarification Daniel – that’s it exactly… it is indeed “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness”, emphasis on HIS.

I am crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ within me – the life I now live, I live by FAITH in the Son of God. I am walking by faith, praising Him for His grace, and enjoying the fruit that is borne by the Spirit.

Excellent prayer time today – God is indeed, Good! :-)

]]> By: Daniel C. Wilson http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-987 Daniel C. Wilson Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:49:08 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-987 Rob, Tripp, Lorraine, Barry...I hope the post was clear enough that apart from Christ, discipline is useless. We'll either fail to exercise it, or just as bad (if not worse), we will exercise it with no heart in it. We'll be a disciplined Pharisee unless our hearts are changed and the Spirit bears fruit. At the same time...we remember that the work of the Spirit makes our work possible. It doesn't relieve us from exerting effort and acting. Just wanted to clarify that again...lest my writing depict a false gospel where there is some hope in ourselves apart from Christ. Rob, Tripp, Lorraine, Barry…I hope the post was clear enough that apart from Christ, discipline is useless. We’ll either fail to exercise it, or just as bad (if not worse), we will exercise it with no heart in it. We’ll be a disciplined Pharisee unless our hearts are changed and the Spirit bears fruit.

At the same time…we remember that the work of the Spirit makes our work possible. It doesn’t relieve us from exerting effort and acting.

Just wanted to clarify that again…lest my writing depict a false gospel where there is some hope in ourselves apart from Christ.

]]> By: Barry Wallace http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-986 Barry Wallace Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:43:21 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-986 I appreciate this series, Daniel. My struggle to be consistent and fervent in prayer is a frequent source of frustration for me. I find it far to easy to be distracted. Thanks, brother. I appreciate this series, Daniel. My struggle to be consistent and fervent in prayer is a frequent source of frustration for me. I find it far to easy to be distracted. Thanks, brother.

]]> By: Lorraine Allenbach http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-984 Lorraine Allenbach Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:25:45 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-984 I agree wholeheartedly with Robert - this is exactly what I need - and goes hand-in-hand with my thinking and the Spirit's guiding of late. I have thought quite a bit about 2 Peter 1:2-3 (below) in light of my prayer life and other aspects of Christian discipleship, and realize that I already have, through my knowledge of Christ Jesus, what I need for bearing the fruit of self-discipline (et al. ) and that I need to walk in the Spirit to experience this. Your series has been the perfect addition to my own pursuit of a more disciplined, meaningful and effective prayer life, in obedience to Christ. "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence..." 2 Peter 1:2-3 I agree wholeheartedly with Robert – this is exactly what I need – and goes hand-in-hand with my thinking and the Spirit’s guiding of late. I have thought quite a bit about 2 Peter 1:2-3 (below) in light of my prayer life and other aspects of Christian discipleship, and realize that I already have, through my knowledge of Christ Jesus, what I need for bearing the fruit of self-discipline (et al. ) and that I need to walk in the Spirit to experience this. Your series has been the perfect addition to my own pursuit of a more disciplined, meaningful and effective prayer life, in obedience to Christ.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence…” 2 Peter 1:2-3

]]> By: Tripp http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/unceasing-prayer-discipline-planning/#comment-983 Tripp Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:42:25 +0000 http://www.desirespiritualgrowth.com/?p=1844#comment-983 I've been concerned more and more lately about prayer and keep realizing more and more the importance or it's presence, practice , and consistency. This post is in a line of things, that have sort of "fallen in my lap" including Celebration of Discipline and the Resurgence's series on prayer. Excellent post Daniel. I’ve been concerned more and more lately about prayer and keep realizing more and more the importance or it’s presence, practice , and consistency.

This post is in a line of things, that have sort of “fallen in my lap” including Celebration of Discipline and the Resurgence’s series on prayer.

Excellent post Daniel.

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