Prayer Life Series
For most people following the spiritual life prayer can be a source of great strength and joy. It can, however, at other times also confront us with questions, problems, guilt, confusion and even discouragement. Certainly, in the work of spiritual direction it never ceases to be a topic of reflection for those following a spiritual path.
So, in this series I seek to explore what is prayer? What is its purpose? And to look at various practical issues around prayer drawing on my work in the interface of spiritual direction and psychology. Prayer is a place and source of great joy and great struggle in the spiritual life, whatever your tradition may be. It also has the capacity to be the very means of our spiritual transformation. I hope to support those in their spiritual journey by exploring here some of the main issues that people often encounter:
• Struggling with prayer: a psychological perspective • Creativity in prayer • Discipline in prayer • Prayer and our transformation in Christ
I also intend to explore, and provide resources for, less well known forms of prayer that either draw on ancient monastic sources or contemporary creativity. There seems a great thirst in today's modern world, with all its demands and busyness, to recover more contemplative and creative means and ways of following and nourishing the Christian life. Some of these include:
• Lectio Divina
• The Jesus Prayer • Meditation
• Praying with Art • Silence • Praying with Icons
• Meditative Prayer Walking
