I recently finished an excellent book called Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton. Love the book, the title --meh. It is free to read and listen at my local library through Hoopla as well as through Kindle Unlimited discussed with my spiritual formation group and thought I would share the questions. (We read the book in two parts, but I know other groups who discussed it one chapter at a time.)
Overall: What parallels did you find between other teachings on prayer you have heard and Praying Like Monks Living Like Fools?
Chapter 1: What reason among those given for why we don’t pray resonated with you most? (naive, fear silence, fear selfish motives, think we are doing it wrong,) What did it resonate? Would you add any reasons?
Chapter 1: How have you implemented pray as you can?
Chapter 2:How did the charge to “be still” resonate with you?
Chapter 2:What part of the hurry culture gets you most?
Chapter 2:How is choosing stillness countercultural? P46
Chapter 3:How was the description of how Jesus prayed different from how you pray? What is that? P55
Chapter 3:How does knowing who God is, who we are and who we are to one another inform our prayers?
Chapter 3:How do you hallow God in your prayers? Or what do you want to try to become better at it?
Chapter 4: Why do you think the author thinks confession is so important?
Chapter 4:Does the picture of Jesus as our co-sufferer inspire you to pray? Why or why not?
Chapter 5: How did the fall change our communication with God?
Chapter 5: How do you think we can become more motivated to intercede in prayer for others/the world?
Chapter 6: How does gratitude fuel our daily prayers?
Chapter 6: How does the encouragement to pray for parking spaces help your perspective?
Chapter 6: Did you resonate with the ideas that prayer is about control/consent? Why or why not?
Chapter 7: What is praying in the middle voice represent?
Chapter 7: What does praying in the middle voice mean for you right now?
Chapter 8: Did you resonate with the idea of prayer as labor/birthing? Why or why not?
Chapter 8: How do you think we can become more motivated to intercede in prayer for others/the world?
Chapter 9: How is prayer an invitation to relationship?
Chapter 9: How does the verb tense of ask, seek, knock change the idea for you?
Chapter 10: Do you agree with the idea that fidelity is boring? Does this help you with the life of prayer?
Chapter 10: How can you incorporate daily rhythms to encourage prayer practice?
Chapter 10: Why are we drawn to the idea of experiential spontaneous prayer? 201
“The modern church's best kept secret is this: we believe in productivity not prayer.” Respond
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