ACHIEVING A DEEPER PRAYER LIFE

-------“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me.” ------- (-Daniel 6:22) Painting: "Daniel Speaks to the King" by Briton Riviere (1840-1920)

 

“Now when Daniel knew that the Decree was signed, he went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks to his God, as he had done before.”

 

 -Daniel 6:10

 

AcHIEVING A DEEPER PRaYEr LIfE: BEING CONfORMED TO CHRIsT's IMAGE

                                     

                                     “I have kept my eyes always on the LORD.                                             Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be overcome.”

 

      -Psalm 16:8

 

 

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:”

-Hebrews 12:14  __________

 

“…because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

-1 Peter 1:16     _________   

 

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.”

               -2 Corinthians 3:18                 __________

 

“…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to perfection, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; “

-Ephesians 4:13

 

   

 “Beloved, now we are sons and daughters of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,

 

but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

-1 John 3:2   

__________

                                       

                                       “Action without prayer is arrogance,                                         prayer without action is hypocrisy.”

                                                                   Jose Zayas                                                                                                      

 

To Help All Christians in Achieving a Deeper Prayer Life

 

The purpose and goal of this ministry is to help all Christians in achieving a deeper prayer life through Conforming to Christ, to the Image of the Son.

 

Through the rejection and overcoming of sin, and growth in holiness.

 

We Founded the Knights of Prayer Lay Monastic Order™  in 1999 as a Lay Monastic Order for those who would also like to, as we ourselves have done, formalize this desire.

 

Our Teaching is Basic Essential Christianity (“Mere Christianity”):

 

                  Conforming to Christ’s Image                        Through Dedication to the Word of God

and Prayer.

______________

 

We have One Desire, to draw near to God: 

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”  

 

-James 4:8

 

We will draw near to God through Two Devotions

“We will devote ourselves continually to prayer,

and to the ministry of the word.”  

-Acts 6:4  

                     

“Rejoice Always.  Pray Without Ceasing.  In Everything Give Thanks.

  For This is the Will of God in Christ Jesus Concerning You.”       

 

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

                              ______________                           

"BheIREAR cOMHAIRE SEACHAD, ACH CHA TOIREAR GIùLAN." "COUNSEL CAN BE GIVEN, BUT NOT CONDUCT." -OLD GAELIC SAYING

– Achieving A Deeper Prayer Life –

The Following is Taken From Our Worship Service:

 

Time of Silence

 

Officiant:  The LORD is in His Holy Temple; let all the  earth keep silence before Him.  (Habakkuk 2:20)

 Be still and know that He is God.  He will be exalted  among the nations.  He will be exalted in the earth.  (Psalm 46:10)

(Bell is rung once, signifying the beginning of a time  of silence before God.)

 (Time of silence.)

 (Bell is rung once, signifying the end of the time of  silence before God.)

 

 Glory to the Father (Doxa PaterEastern)

 

 All sing:  Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.  (Ephesians 3:21; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 1:25; Revelation 1:6) 

 

Prayer As Incense

 

All sing:  Let our prayer arise before You as incense, and let the lifting up of our hands be an evening offering.  (Psalm 141:2)

 

 

All:  You will keep in perfect peace, those whose mind is stayed on You, because they trust in You.   (Isaiah 26:3)

 

Sign of Peace (The Priestly Blessing)

 

Officiant:  As we have been forgiven, let us now forgive all others: giving The Priestly Blessing as The Sign of Peace between us:   (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13)

(Congregation with lifted hands, palms facing forward in blessing:)

 

All:  The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.   The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.   (Numbers 6:24-26) 

 

Officiant:  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   (Philippians 4:7)

 

Early Church
Eastern Orthodox
Roman Catholic
Protestant
Recommended Book: "The Kneeling Christian" by Anonymous
Recommended Book: "Growing in Christ" by J.I. Packer

SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS ( ABBA JOHN ) :

 

“One day, when Abba John was still a young monk, he told his older brother, ‘I want to be free from all cares, like the angels.  

 

They do not work, but worship God ceaselessly.’   John removed his cloak and walked off into the desert.  

 

A week later he returned and knocked on the door. Before the door was opened, he heard his brother ask, ‘Who are you?’

 

“I am your brother John,’ he answered.  But his brother replied, ‘John has become an angel; he no longer walks among men.’  

 

But John insisted, saying, ‘It is I.’  His brother would still not let him in, but left him outside in distress until the next morning.

 

When he finally opened the door, he told John, ‘You are a man, and must work again in order to eat.’  

 

John made a prostration before his brother, and said, ‘Forgive me.'”

 

-Sayings of the Desert Fathers

 

Painting ©Warner Press, Inc. Anderson, Indiana. Used by permission.
"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis (Introduction by Kathleen Norris)
"Prayer as a Total Lifestyle: Learning from the Greatest Lives of Prayer" by S.G. Preston
"Prayer as a Celtic Lay Monk: Learning from Celtic Christian Prayer" by S.G. Preston
"Answers to Prayer: A Global 24-Hr. Prayerchain Since 2000" by S.G. Preston
"Christian History" Magazine: J.R.R. Tolkien

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