The Time Is Now - Developing A Lifestyle Of Prayer

whiplash and fatigue. Connected prayer fosters agreement and unity. Begin your prayer by agreeing with the previous prayer, and then add something related to the topic.

Practical Exercise:Ne:xt time you pray with others, make an effort to have at least three people in a row pray on a single topic before moving to something el�e. When you switch topics, try to choose a new topic that somehowflows out of the preceding one. Afterward, talk together about the experience. How did the continuity affect your ability to stay attentive to what others were praying about?

G. Listen to your thoughts. For some reason, coq)orate prayer is the setting where I do my most effective listening to God and my thoughts. I take notes, asking God to direct my prayer and to make known His will for the group. Then I pray for those matters I discern to be His will. There are four possible sources of thoughts that come to our minds. .. Self. Each of us has our own original thoughts. .. The world around us. This includes both good influences (as when my wife's helpful reminders come to mind) and bad (as when TV ads cause me to think I need some­ thing I don't) . .. The devil. Satan talks to us, just as he did to Jesus (Matthew 4: 1-11) . .. God. Here's the problem: Those thoughts aren't accented to help us distinguish between the different sources. How can we sort out the "voices" and learn to zero in on the ones we want to hear? 3. Readjohn 10:1-5. According toJesus, the sheep recognize the Shepherd:� voice because they have gotten to know Him. What l.inds Qf habits in your ltfe will help you know God better, so you can learn to di�tinguish His guidance from that of other sources?

H. Bring a notebook and write down ideas, thoughts, and 1>rayers. Writing helps some people keep their brain engaged in prayer. Thoughts that come to mind during