Praying incessantly

To turn within and pray incessantly by living in an awareness given us by the Holy Spirit of God’s immense love for us guiding us in all things is possible for all of us. It requires, however, a constant living out of our Baptism, a crossing over from our own self-containment and a putting on of Jesus Christ’s mind of seeking always to please the Heavenly Father. Praying always is a state of not saying prayers but a state of standing before God in the depths of our being and being constantly in tune with His operations. We find ourselves less distracted by the fears of what others would say, of norms and fashions set by a worldly society or persons close to us. We even can rise from the haunting memories of our sinful past and our crippling “mind-set” patterns of thoughts and images to a freedom and clarity of inner vision that Jesus Christ had promised would be the possession of His disciples who heard his word.

- George Maloney, Inward Stillness : p. 101.

 

Dying well

‘Our people die well’ said John Wesley. Wesley was celebrating God’s grace among the Methodists. Until recently a good death was seen as the godly man’s crowning achievement, the climax of his good life… Things are, of course, different today: death has replaced sex as the great unmentionable. All stress among Christians is laid on present knowledge and enjoyment of God, and the old awareness that only one who is ready to die can live to God’s praise has been generally forgotten.

- J.I. Packer in the foreword to David Watson, Fear No Evil, p. 5-6.

 

The silent thunder of the Lord of hosts

We begin praying for others by first quieting our fleshly activity and listening to the silent thunder of the Lord of hosts. Attuning ourselves to divine breathings is spiritual work, but without it our praying is vain repetition (Matt. 6:7).

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline: 49

 

Self-indulgent chains of sleep

David’s desire for God broke the self-indulgent chains of sleep: ‘Early will I seek Thee’ (Ps 63:1).

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 44.

 

Mind pollution

Mind pollution is so crucial. Now when I speak of mind pollution I am not thinking only of ‘bad’ books, films and so on, but of mediocre books and films. You see, unless we set before ourselves a ‘habitual vision of greatness’ we will surely degenerate. This is why it is ruinous to have so much of our Christian literature of such poor literary quality.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 94.

 

Studying the Bible : barren days

We want life-transforming truth, not just good feelings. We are willing to pay the price of barren day after barren day until the meaning is clear. This process revolutionises our lives.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 86.

 

Total transformation of the person

The purpose of the spiritual disciplines is the total transformation of the person. They aim at replacing old destructive habits of thought with new life-giving habits.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 79.

 

The desire to hear God’s voice

How do we receive the desire to hear his voice? This desire to turn is a gift of grace. Anyone who imagines he can simply begin meditating without praying for the desire and the grace to do so, will soon give up.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 29.

 

Christian meditation

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 21.

 

Re-creating silences

If we hope to move beyond the superficialities of our culture, including our religious culture, we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation.

- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 19.

 

A country of frustration and fear and intimidation

For too long we have been in a far country: a country of noise and hurry and crowds, a country of climb and push and shove, a country of frustration and fear and intimidation. And he welcomes us home: home to serenity and peace and joy, home to friendship and fellowship and openness, home to initimacy and acceptance and affirmation.

- Richard Foster, Prayer: 1.

 

The heart of God is an open wound of love

Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten him. He weeps over our obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.

- Richard Foster, Prayer : 1.