What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Is it really that important to pray as the early Church did? In this installment of The Ancient Practices series, Robert Benson presents a structure for our lives where we can live in continued awareness of God’s presence and reality. A pattern for worship and prayer that is offered to God at specific times throughout the day, the daily office is meant to be prayed by all the faithful so the Church may be continuous and God’s work in this world may be sustained. Yet it is highly personal too—an anchor between the daily and the divine, the mundane and the marvelous. Says author Robert Benson, “At some point, high-minded discussion about our life of prayer has to work its way into the dailyness of our lives. At some point, we have to move from talking about prayer to saying our prayers so that the marvelous that is possible has a chance to appear.” In Constant Prayer is your gateway to deeper communion with God. Expect something new to unfold before you and within you while heeding this ancient call. The Ancient Practices There is a hunger in every human heart for connection, primitive and raw, to God. To satisfy it, many are beginning to explore traditional spiritual disciplines used for centuries . . . everything from fixed-hour prayer to fasting to sincere observance of the Sabbath. Compelling and readable, the Ancient Practices series is for every spiritual sojourner, for every Christian seeker who wants more.

Billions of people in the world want a sound basis for improving the amount of fulfillment and personal success in their lives. Over the years, many have lauded the importance of prayer in one’s life. To whatever degree that is true, how much more is constant prayer even more powerful than Sunday or Saturday prayer or even daily prayer. Communing with God throughout the day is one of the most underestimated means of experiencing peace and joy in one’s life, as well as having God’s love flow from one’s heart and lips. Countless numbers of people around the world pray in order to have some of the key advantages in personal serenity, purpose, and insight that will enable them to have the edge in life necessary in order to have victory and fulfillment. How much more will constant prayer and communion with God enable people to have a permeant advantage and edge. This book examines how the practice of constant prayer and communion with God can fill a person with more love, joy, peace, self-discipline, faith, direction in life, humility, sensitivity to God, consistency, and purpose. It is intellectually stimulating, but immensely practical. By applying the many principles shared in this book, it can literally change your life and make you stronger in virtually every area of your life.

By teaching young people to pray, you can open for them a way to communicate on a deeply personal level with God, who is the source of all holiness. By inviting them to explore different forms of personal prayer, you will encourage them to expand their image of God and their expectations of prayer. By challenging them to look at communal prayer, you will remind them that their role in building God's Reign and as a part of the Body of Christ is important, unique, and valued. This manual can help you give young people the tools to pray all ways, and always, and enable them to build their relationship with God on a solid foundation.

Prolific author, college and seminary professor, and co-founder of Liberty University, Elmer Towns has written a second Teaching Series consisting of six profound books designed to stir your spirit and increase your biblical knowledge: Grandparents in the Bible; The Ten Commandments According to Jesus; 7 Indispensable Words for Effective Prayer; Habits of the Heart; When God Is Silent; What Is Right? Intriguing titles with even more intriguing content. 7 Indispensable Words for Effective Prayer has been specially designed for maximum reading pleasure as well as study enjoyment. Supported with numerous relevant Scriptures throughout, this exploration on prayer and praying will undoubtedly make a significant impact on your daily interaction with your heavenly Father. Effective prayers have multiple aspects that are explored in great detail, including: Forgiveness Praying Praise Praying Worship Praying Faith Praying Surrender Praying Seven chapters delve directly into various types of praying. Fifty Daily Devotions focus on Scriptures and your personal reflections. Seven lessons illuminate specific topics and can be used individually and/or in a small group or Sunday School class setting. A comprehensive PowerPoint Guide and additional online resources are also available. "...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results" (James 5:15 NLT).

In early medieval Europe, monasticism constituted a significant force in society because the prayers of the religious on behalf of others featured as powerful currency. The study of this phenomenon is at once full of potential and peril, rightly drawing attention to the wider social involvement of an otherwise exclusive group, but also describing a religious community in terms of its service provision. Previous scholarship has focused on the supply and demand of prayer within the medieval economy of power, patronage, and gift exchange. Intercessory Prayer and the Monastic Ideal in the Time of the Carolingian Reforms is the first volume to explain how this transactional dimension of prayer factored into monastic spirituality. Renie S. Choy uncovers the relationship between the intercessory function of monasteries and the ascetic concern for moral conversion in the minds of prominent religious leaders active between c. 750-820. Through sustained analysis of the devotional thought of Benedict of Aniane and contemporaneous religious reformers during the reigns of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious, Choy examines key topics in the study of Carolingian monasticism: liturgical organization and the intercessory performances of the Mass and the Divine Office, monastic theology, and relationships of prayer within monastic communities and with the world outside. Arguing that monastic leaders showed new interest on the intersection between the interiority of prayer and the functional world of social relationships, this study reveals the ascetic ideal undergirding the provision of intercessory prayer by monasteries.

Our prayers should go as deep as our souls. Spiritual disciplines are simply ways to open ourselves to God. They help us become aware of the many ways God speaks to us and provide us with ways to respond to God. This book explores and explains how the historical disciplines and perspectives of the Christian faith can deepen both our walk with God and our community with others In today's society we ore often handicapped in our spiritual growth by too narrow a horizon when it comes to spiritual practices. Each generation suffers a kind of collective amnesia, forgetting the practices and perspectives that nourished countless followers of Christ in centuries past. Rediscovering these skills is one way to respond to our culture's--and our own--deep spiritual hunger. While it is seemingly preposterous for us to suppose we can interact with the God of this universe, Scripture repeatedly invites us to do that very thing. Prayer is not a minor idea tucked into the cracks of the text; it is central, normative, and expected. Why is it, then, that our prayers are so often dry and difficult? In Meditative Prayer, you'll discover those ways of prayer that make use of your mind and imagination, that address your needs as well as strengthen your spirit. By drawing from a number of different sources--from Scripture, from wise men and women who have gone before, and from one another--this study guide will enable your soul to drink deeply from the inexhaustible well of prayer. Though you can use this guide for a personal journey of prayer, it is ideally suited for exploration with a small group of like-minded friends.

Do You Seek God's Word to guide you? With the constant demands and pressures of daily life, it can be hard to regularly pause to be with and listen to God's voice. When you're having one of those days, you just want to know that someone is on your side. You have more than just someone, you have your Heavenly Father! He is with you. He is for you. This 365-day devotional collection includes a combination of Scripture, engaging explanations, and compelling reflection questions to encourage you in your daily walk with the Lord. Through this devotional, you'll: Discover how you can move forward in life with confident hope, as you grow in your understanding of what really matters to God. Handle life peacefully and wisely instead of merely trying to get through the day. Find new mercies and blessings each day when you spend time with God Learn that He hears our songs and sighs, and he answers those who seek him with whispers of love and truth. It makes a very thoughtful gift for a friend or family member facing trials or going through a tough time and will remind them that God loves them dearly, knows them and cares for them. Also, a perfect gift for communion, confirmation, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and more.

Prayer is an important religious practice that is rarely studied from the perspective of politics – and yet it should be. Though some forms of Protestantism teach that prayer should be individual and private, this is an exception rather than a rule. In many other religions and cultures, the regulation of collective and public prayer cannot be separated from the complex world of politics. Where is prayer allowed, and where not? Who can participate, and who can’t? How should you pray – and how shouldn’t you? Prayer is subject to a host of both written and unwritten political rules. From the Pentecostal religious battle – where prayer is both sword and shield against the Satanic Other – to the relations between Islam and Christianity, prayer as spiritual warfare can be found cross-culturally and across the world. This book brings together case studies of the political salience of prayer in Nigeria, France, India, Russia, and the United States. It deals with Christian, Muslim, and Hindu practices. In a world where religious tensions are ever-present, it reminds us of the intensely political nature of prayer. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Religious and Political Practice.

There are so many today, Christians and non-Christians alike, who have questions about Christianity, getting closer to God and understanding how to be effective and be successful in this life. Prayer Praise and Worship was written to remind some and educate others that The Bible is the greatest of all books ever written throughout the ages of man. To study and understand what God is saying in His written Word is the most treasured Gift one could ever desire. It is a Biblically-inspired book which attempts to explain issues many that non-Christians, new Christians and mature Christians alike have wanted to understand in order to live victoriously and effectively in fulfilling their God-given purpose.