{"product_id":"the-prayer-practice-isbn-9780593603314","title":"The Prayer Practice","description":"\u003cb\u003eECPA BESTSELLER • Learn how to cultivate a deeper union with God through intentional, multifaceted prayer in this practical, accessible guide from \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author John Mark Comer and the team at Practicing the Way.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the hurry, distraction, and noise of the modern world, few things are more difficult or more rewarding than developing a life of prayer. As an apprentice of Jesus, it is vital to set aside time to be more deeply connected with the Father.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDesigned to be used with four engaging video sessions freely available online, the Prayer Practice from Practicing the Way offers spiritual exercises, reflection questions, guided readings, and additional resources to help you and your community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guide will equip you to:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Develop a daily rhythm of prayer using both liturgical and personal approaches\u003cbr\u003e• Engage in various forms of prayer, including gratitude, lament, and intercession\u003cbr\u003e• Listen to God's voice through practices like \u003ci\u003eLectio Divina\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e• Move beyond words to experience contemplative union with God\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscover how dedicating intentional time to communicate and commune with God can lead to a transformed life, deeper spiritual growth, and a renewed sense of partnership with God in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of a series of nine core practices that together build a Rule of Life for following Jesus in the modern world, each guide can be read individually or together in any order:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sabbath Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Prayer Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Fasting Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Solitude Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Generosity Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Scripture Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Community Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Service Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Witness Practice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn Mark Comer\u003c\/b\u003e is the founding pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, a teacher and writer with Practicing the Way, and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of multiple books, including \u003ci\u003ePracticing the Way, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eLive No Lies\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e Practicing the Way\u003c\/b\u003e is a nonprofit that creates spiritual formation resources for churches and small groups learning how to become apprentices of the Way of Jesus. We believe one of the greatest needs of our time is for people to discover how to become lifelong disciples of Jesus. To that end, we help people learn how to be with Jesus, become like him, and do as he did through the practices and rhythms he and his earliest followers lived by.\u003cb\u003eGetting Started\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWelcome\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome to the Prayer Practice. You may have come on this Practice because you’re new to following Jesus and learning to pray for the very first time. Or you may be at a stage in your apprenticeship to Jesus where you desire to not just learn about God, but to experience God. Or you may just find prayer boring or tedious, but you have a growing sense there’s something you’ve yet to discover. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhatever your motivation, we’re so happy you’ve chosen to go on this four-session journey into a deeper life with God. In the hurry, distraction, and noise of the modern world, few things are more difficult, or more rewarding, than developing a life of prayer. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrayer is simply the medium through which we communicate and commune with God. The practice of prayer is learning to set aside dedicated time to intentionally be with God in order to become like him and partner with him in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen you are first learning to pray, there is a bit of a progression from one stage to the next. But the spiritual journey is not a linear progression, and you never mature beyond any dimension of prayer. This means we can revisit and grow within every layer many times. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs you give yourself to Jesus through this Practice, please remember: The ultimate aim is not to “pray more” or “pray better.” It’s what ancient Christians called union with God. As Julian of Norwich said long ago, “The whole reason why we pray is to be united into the vision and contemplation of him to whom we pray.” It’s to live each day more and more aware of and deeply connected to our Father; to be transformed into the likeness of his Son, Jesus; and to be filled with the fullness of his Spirit, to do what he made you to do in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Nine Practices\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrayer is just one of nine core Practices in the body of resources available from Practicing the Way. The Practices are spiritual disciplines centered around the life rhythms of Jesus. They are designed not to add even more to your already overbusy life, but to slow you down and create space for the Spirit of God to form you to be with Jesus, become like him, and do what he did. Ultimately, they are a way to experience the love of God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo run another Practice or learn more, turn to page 108.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow to Use This Guide\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA few things you need to know\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Practice is designed to be done in community, whether with a few friends around a table, within your small group, in a larger class format, or with your entire church. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Practice is four sessions long. We recommend meeting together every week or every other week. For those of you who want to spend more time on this Practice, we’ve included an additional four weeks of bonus conversations in the appendix to go deeper in Scripture and discussion. You are welcome to pause for these conversations in between sessions or skip over them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou will all need a copy of this Companion Guide. You can purchase a print or ebook version from your preferred retailer or find a free digital PDF version at launch.practicingtheway.org. We recommend the print version so you can stay away from your devices during the Practices, as well as take notes during each session. But we realize that digital works better for some. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach session should take about one to two hours, depending on how long you allow for discussion and whether or not you begin with a meal. See the sample session on the following page.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAre you a group leader or facilitator? Log in to your online Dashboard or sign up at launch.practicingtheway.org to find ideas, best practices, and tips on running this Practice. Page 112 also offers helpful information and tips on running this Practice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur Practices are designed to work in a variety of group sizes and environments. For that reason, your gatherings may include additional elements like meals or worship time, or may follow a structure slightly different from the following sample. Please adapt as you see fit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSample Session\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere is what a typical session could look like.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWelcome the group and open in prayer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShare a meal (60 min.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGather around a table to eat together and share a conversation. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction (2–3 min.) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWatch the introduction to the session and pause the video when indicated for your first discussion. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscussion 01: Practice reflection in triads (15–20 min.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProcess your previous week’s spiritual exercise in smaller groups of three to five people with the questions in the Guide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTeaching (20 min.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWatch the teaching portion of the video.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscussion 02: Group conversation (15–30 min.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePause the video when indicated for a group-wide conversation. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTestimony and tutorial (5–10 min.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWatch the rest of the video. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrayer to close\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClose by praying the liturgy in the Guide, or however you choose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Weekly Rhythm\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe four sessions of this Practice are designed to follow a four-part rhythm that is based on our model of spiritual formation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e01 Learn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGather together as a community for an interactive experience of learning about the Way of Jesus through teaching, storytelling, and discussion. Bring your Guide to the session and follow along.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e02 Practice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn your own, before the next session, go and “put it into practice,” as Jesus himself said. We will provide weekly spiritual exercises to integrate this practice into your everyday life, as well as recommended resources to go deeper. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e03 Reflect\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReflection is key to spiritual formation. After your practice and before the next session, set aside 10–15 minutes to reflect on your experience. Reflection questions are included in this Guide at the end of each session.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e04 Process together\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen you come back together, watch the introduction, and then start by sharing your reflections with your group. This moment is crucial because we need one another to process our lives before God and make sense of our stories. If you are meeting in a larger group, you will need to break into smaller subgroups for this conversation so everyone has a chance to share.","brand":"WaterBrook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233730932965,"sku":"NP9780593603314","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593603314.jpg?v=1767741049","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-prayer-practice-isbn-9780593603314","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}