Open In Prayer
Begin by praying together – taking some intentional time to invite the Holy Spirit into your gathering. Lead your Community into the evening with a non-anxious and joyful spirit.
Below is an optional liturgy you could pray:
As we linger over our cups, As we relish in the delights of the meal prepared as an act of love, As we slow ourselves down to be present with one another, May the King of Kings be glorified. As we grow in friendship, may we grow in our deep knowing of our God, who is Divine community. Amen.
Around The Table & Reflect On Last Gathering’s Practice
This is space during your gathering to share a meal, build relationships, and enjoy one another.
As you’re around the table, invite your Community to reflect on their experience with implementing or continuing the practice of a daily prayer rhythm. If your Community is larger, you may find it helpful to reflect in smaller groups for the sake of time.
What were some points of delight and points of difficulty as you practiced a daily prayer rhythm?
What did God highlight to you as a result of practicing a set aside time to pray each day?
Learning: Practicing The Way’s Prayer Course
The focus of our March and April gatherings will be learning about prayer, so that we may practice prayer. Remember, the ultimate aim is not to “pray more” or “pray better.” The goal of prayer isn’t prayer itself, but companionship with Jesus.
In the hurry, distraction, and noise of the modern world, few things are more difficult, or more rewarding, than developing a life of prayer. Prayer leads us 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.
Over the next four sessions, we will explore four elements of prayer:
Talking to God
Talking with God
Listening to God
Being with God
Our Companion Guide from Practicing The Way will guide us through these sessions.
How to use the Companion Guide:
Learning: The Practicing The Way video sessions will be the focal learning point of your Ethos Community gatherings for the next two months. Each session includes a teaching and intentional discussion.
Practice: On your own, before your next gathering, go and put what you’ve been learning into practice.
Reflect: Reflection is key to spiritual formation. After your practice and before your next Community gathering, set aside 10-15 minutes to reflect on your experience with the practice. Reflection questions are included in Practicing The Way Companion Guide at the end of each session.
Process together: When you come back together, you will share your reflections with your Ethos Community. This moment is crucial, because we need each other to process our life before God and make sense of our stories.
Today, we will begin session one: Talking to God.
Practice: Praying Pre-Made Prayers
We are going to continue to practice a daily prayer rhythm. There is no formation without repetition.
Decide on a time and a place to pray, if possible, every day over the next two weeks. Decide on and commit to a time duration. Don’t overreach. Start where you are. If you don’t pray daily, aim for 10-15 minutes. If you pray for 10-15 minutes, consider upping it to half an hour. Just take the next step.
Create routines or rituals you actually enjoy to make your daily prayer habit something you look forward to all day long — light a candle, make yourself coffee or tea, sit by a window you love, go outside, savor the quiet, or put on worship music.
Those of you who are more kinesthetic may find it helpful to pray while walking, inside or in nature, or with something to keep your hands busy, like knitting or drawing. Ultimately, work with your personality, not against it.
We are going to try something new during these next two weeks as we continue to practice a daily prayer rhythm. You are encouraged to try praying liturgies, or pre-made prayers and/or God’s word. The Practicing The Way: Prayer course Companion Guide has a few helpful resources to which you can refer.
[If you are looking for ways to go deeper, the Practicing The Way: Prayer Companion Guide offers optional “reach practices”. Overachievers in the room: there is not an expectation to complete the reach practices, these are simply available for those who have the interest and capacity.]
End in Prayer
Before you conclude, spend some time as a Community praying for one another.
Below is an optional liturgy you could pray:
Lord Jesus, There is no greater prayer than yours — make us one as you are one, in devotion, in living, in love. Amen.