It’s an amazing thing to think that we can somehow commune with God, that He desires to say something to us! Prayer is at the heart of the Christian experience but it is not easy and we are always learning more.
The Danish existential philosopher Soren Kierkegard thought prayer was talking until he realised that it was listening. C.S.Lewis wrote that “prayer without words is the best”. Saint Benedict taught us about prayer as work.
Prayer is our theme for 2018: we’ll be teaching on Sunday and in small groups; we’ll be doing it alone and together in many different ways; we’ll be building a set of resources for you to read and listen to; together we’ll go on a voyage of discovery. And because prayer changes things, things will change!
David shows how Simeon and Anna provide us with a model for prayer when God does not seem to be listening.
David explains the Advent concept of praying and waiting – and the significance of this short prayer right at the end of the Book.
In David’s penitential Psalm we see how Prayer can be a Place where a deep friendship with the Holy Spirit can bring profound wholeness and integration to our lives.
Mark 4:26-29 is one of Jesus’ parable about the kingdom when he uses the picture of the sower and the seed. It teaches us a deep truth about how to: pray - and then wait - and then work.
David introduces our 14 days to pray and fast as we pray particularly for friends and family. We start with the promise in Acts 2:38-39.
If Jesus needed to put time aside to pray, how much more do we? We examine Jesus' prayer life from Mark 1:12-35.
It is really important to be praying for our world, church and potential leaders. Liz explores how our prayers for our leaders have a direct impact on their effectiveness as leaders.
In the moments between the moments of prayer, who or what do we lean on other than God? Matt explores what idolatry looks like for us today and what we can do about it.
Andrew looks at how being out of touch with our own hearts can keep us from God's love, and how letting Him into these areas in prayer can change and heal us.
Liz explores trusting in God when nothing makes sense and God does not seem to be responding to our prayers.
'How do we respond when afflicted in spiritual battles? Using Matthew 4:1-11, Pete looks at how Jesus responded to the Devil when he faced temptations in the wilderness.
Is there a difference between hearing and listening? Using John 10:27, Sarah explores how listening to God requires an emotional commitment as well as practical planning.
Liz explores what it means to pray ‘Your will be done’ as we learn to persevere in prayer and wait for God to unfold his will and his way in his time.
Drawing on Hebrews 10, Jen reflects on the privilege of being able to come directly to Jesus with our requests and how we can ask Him to provide for us.
Sally looks to Jesus' prayer teaching in Matthew 6 'Our father in heaven'. We approach our heavenly father and remember who he is.
By exploring the theology of confession and doing it, Liz demonstrates through humility, confession, putting our faith in what Jesus has done; and inviting the Holy Spirit to continue to work in us, we grow and thrive in God’s love.
Liz explores the humanistic and biblical perspectives of confession; the obstacles and cost of it; and how confession is required for our personal healing and transformation.
In Psalm 139, David invites God to "search" him. Andrew looks at the transforming impact of prayer where, rather than striving to reach God, we simply allow ourselves to be changed in His presence.
As we see in Luke 4:38-41 Jesus was known for laying hands on people as he ministered to them. Why, what happens when you lay hands on people?
David shows how Psalm 30 provides an example of how to engage with your emotions when you pray.
In Matthew 6 Jesus challenges us to develop a secret prayer life with God. David explains how we must be honest about our prayer life, take off our masks and learn to receive God's love.
Prayer is the bridge between our thinking about God (our theology) and our encounter with God (our experience). David looks at John 2 and how Mary, Jesus' mother is revealed as a woman of prayer as her theology becomes her experience.
Jesus prayed that we may know God and that we may know his love in us. David explains how, in prayer, we can all get to know God better if we are open with our feelings.
Prayer is always a response because God has spoken first. David teaches from Revelation 3:20.
In Genesis 2:15 God gives us a prayer purpose in life – which is “to look after the garden”. David explains how you are the gardener and you are called to watch over and protect, to tend and cultivate, a specific, unique, part of the garden.
A series of talks, articles and resources on the topic of prayer and fasting.
God says He sets watchmen on the walls to call on Him day and night reminding Him of all His promises. Liz explores the call on us all to be Watchmen and what we can intercede and prophesy in the light of all God's promises to us.
At the start of year we can look ahead and discover God’s plan for us in 2018 as well as God’s plan for the church. Anne looks to Nehemiah 4 for how we are to go about pursuing His plans, praying and posting a guard.
Testimonies from people in Leeds Vineyard about their experience of prayer.
Websites, books and reading