prayer

SOME THOUGHT FROM ANNUAL NETWORK CONFERENCE 2025

/ joseph elon lillie / 2 Comments

I have just returned from our fellowship’s Annual Network Conference which was entitle MISSION DEI

Our focus sessions were wonderful here are a few thoughts I came away with.

“Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”- Jesus

“What you treasure does not follow your heart. Your heart follow what you treasure. Be intentional with what you treasure.” Jim Bradford

“Our doxology must inform our practice not vice versa.” Dr. Kim

“We spend much time focused on what Jesus taught and not enough time noticing how Jesus was with people.” Dr. Kim

“We need to spend less time in behavior modification and more time in heart transformation.” Dr. Kim

“The expulsive power of a new affection.” Thomas Chalmers

The pathway to deliverance is not found in trying to get rid of what is ugly, but it is found in embracing a new beauty that so consumes us that there is no longer room for the old ugliness.

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“You cannot grow spiritually by focusing on your self.” Dr. Kim

“Jesus is the new wine. We are the new wine skins.” Rev. Jonathan Angell

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Seven steps to a new wine skin- Rev. Jonathan Angell

  1. Something has to die for a new wine skin to be made
  2. the flesh has to be removed for a new wine skin to be made
  3. A new wine skin needs to be thoroughly washed with water (the Word of God).
  4. New wine skins need to be cured by fire and smoke.
  5. New wine skins must be turned inside out.
  6. New wine skins needy to be thoroughly sealed with oil (The Holy Spirit is needed).
  7. New wine skins need to be stitched (healed on the inside) before being turned right way around for use.

WHICH OF THESE STAND OUT TO YOU?

THE CATYWHOMPUS PRAYER RULE PT. 1

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Many people have wondered about my prayer schedule.

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I have told people that I loosely follow the Benedictine rule, and that is true. I divide my prayer life into Matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline and the great silence.

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I have also said that prayer is part of my flow schedule not my hardline schedule. That is also true particularly for terce, sext none, vespers and compline. Each day finds those prayer times landing at different hours depending on what is in my hardline schedule.

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Some days, like yesterday, I can get through prime and terce before my day really even starts. Some days, like today I am up and out of the house before the sunrise and I will be on the go until noon with very little time in between meetings or tasks. Squeezing in a ten or twenty minute break for prayer gets difficult.

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Days like today, I try to front load with prayer before I go out the door. I start rising around 2 A.M. so that I can get a few hours of deep prayer in before the day starts. Then if I can after my busy morning I will retire to my room for another time of waiting prayer and the Word.

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I also try to close out each night with a time of evening prayer and then a settling in prayer as I lay my head down on the pillow each night.

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Each day is different. I have never been able to standardize the time and remain consistent. Making prayer part of the flow of my life, rather than an anchor I force myself to observe religiously has worked for me.

IF YOU PRAY OR MEDITATE, WHAT WORKS FOR YOU?