The last time I wrote about my prayer life I had built up a regiment of prayers and prayer times through out the day. I have learned that this method of prayer is not for me or is it necessarily expedient to my drawing nearer to Christ. I had hoped that by doing this I could train my mind to be more in more of a state of prayer and the totally sum would be unceasing prayer. This was not the most sure method for me as it became cumbersome and complicated.
My doing this was for the wrong reasons. I wanted to impress my self with the greatness and holiness of God and I wanted to build up for my self a rule of sorts to live by. I however was doing this out of my own vanity and not the Lords will and plan for my life.
There is nothing I want more of in my life than the presence of God. I am a simple man. I felt for years that some day when I was a real mature Christian I would be able to argue doctrine and make up eloquent postmodern arguments for my faith. Well friends I don’t think I will ever be able to do that because that is not the kind of man I am, my brain simply doesn’t work that way. I have come to the conclusion that for me to live as God has called my to I need not to be concerned with a grate deal biblical of knowledge, not that I wont spend my life studding God’s word and gleaning from it what he grants me. I feel it is better to know God than to store up a bunch of facts about the scriptures in my head. 1Cor. 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. It is by prayer that I am getting to know God better than I ever have and by knowing God better I will be closer to him.
My “routine” is this most mornings but not all is to spend about 15-20 minutes in prayer and in bible reading. I start with 25 restorations of the Jesus prayer. Then I prayerfully read a small section of scripture either using Lectio Devino or Holly imagination depending on the section I and studying. If I have extra time and do some devotional reading it is usually from The Imitation of Christ, The practice of the presence of God, or The little flowers of St. Francis The rest of the day is spent as best I can trying to live the prayer life described by Brother Lawrence in the Practice of the presence of God. With scripture memorization being a regular part of my day as well. Simplicity and my flexibility to what God is doing in my life is much more important than some home made set of rules or goal I have set or my self.
It is in simplicity, purity, and his grace that I hope to live I a life in his presence as much as possible.
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