Reflective Prayers PDF Download

As disciples, God calls us to listen to the voice of his Son, Jesus, and to obey him. "This is my Son, whom I love, Listen to him!" (Mark 9:7b) Today, in these times of insecurity, confusion, and turmoil, Jesus' words in The Sermon on the Mount sound a clear, strong call for us to live his way in the Kingdom of God. His words map out for us the path on which we are to walk and often run counter to our modern culture and values. Indeed, the way he calls us to live is an invitation to pick up our crosses daily and follow him. But even when obeying seems difficult, love for Jesus compels us to follow him. Like Peter we can say , "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). It is important to remember that to become more like Jesus requires a change of heart that cannot occur without the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. By immersing ourselves in Jesus' words our hearts begin to be transformed in his presence and our lives begin bearing the fruit of true disciples of Christ. Praying through The Sermon on the Mount, we thus draw close to God and encounter him in a life-transforming way. This prayer guide is designed to be used for personal prayer. It encourages anyone who desires to go deeper in prayer to take each of the included verses and reflect on them using the Scripture-based reflective prayer model. A brief description of this type of prayer is followed by a journal-style guide which gives the reader opportunity to pray with carefully chosen short Scripture verses. Reflecting on Scripture in this way can provide us with a powerful way to experience God's presence and love in our hearts and to encounter the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.