At it’s core, prayer is simply conversation and connection with God.

John Mark Comer reminds us,

“we need to learn how to be with Jesus—not in the silence and order of a monastery but in the noise and chaos of the city.”

 

It’s our desire that everyone at First B would experience life with God beyond a Sunday service. God wants to meet with you in your living room, work place, car, neighborhood, grocery store, gym, and classroom! The ordinary places and moments of our day are invitations from the Holy Spirit to slow down, pay attention, and just be with Him.

Space and pace matter as we learn to be with Jesus in prayer.

Space helps shape the intention of our hearts and limit distractions. When Jesus first taught about prayer with His disciples, He didn’t start by teaching them how to pray, but where to pray:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6 NIV). 

We also see Jesus retreating often to a quiet place to be with the Father in prayer. Jesus would pray in spaces of wilderness like lakes, mountainsides, and gardens (Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13, Luke 5:16, Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46, John 6:15, etc.).

Do you have a quiet place where distractions are limited and where you are expectant to encounter the Spirit?

The pace of our lives often determines the level of relational connection we have with God and others. Jesus demonstrated a life that was unhurried and interruptible, making Him available to the Father’s presence and the presence of others.