14 Comments
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Scott Bolinder's avatar

Thank you for this excellent post. I am also fond of Philip Yancey’s definition of prayer as “keeping company with God.” It’s what we long to do with all those we love.

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Katie Andraski's avatar

Thank you. Love the Book of Common Prayer for giving me words to pray.

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Ian's avatar

Wonderful, Winn. I read this week a lovely saying along the lines of Eugene's comment, "Prayer is a relationship of love." So understanding what a relationship of love looks like is a good picture of prayer. It's less about the mechanics but more about the receiving and giving, getting in touch with our desire to be loved (we are by God) and learning how to love in return.

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Sara Billups's avatar

I rarely re-read a Substack, but there's a lot of goodness here I could keep coming back to. This is such a beautifully written and articulated post, and it's going to stay with me.

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Winn Collier's avatar

Thank you, Sara

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Christina R's avatar

Beautiful 🥰 I used to think prayer was such a chore but I’ve become so fascinated by it over the last year

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Jacquelyn Cochran's avatar

Wow! Love everything about this article. When our mindset shifts to knowing the Lord and being attentive to His presence, it is freeing! When we focus more on ourselves, our requests, or getting it right, it becomes a chore or a burden. Thank you for sharing!

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Debi Hassler-Never Forsaken's avatar

I too really appreciate your words here about prayer. It’s so rewarding to spend time focusing on the goodness of God, whatever form that takes in our prayers. Prayer is a way of learning to lean on Him, and not ourselves. How blessed we are to have that relationship with our Creator. Thanks for your excellent post!

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Janell Downing's avatar

🤍🤍🤍

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Kiplagat .M. Meli's avatar

You comment, "Prayer is where the Spirit inside us animates our mind and longings and even our grief and returns everything to God" has given me another reason to collect my spiritual struggle and real life challenges and commit them to God. This week has seen me walk from one challenge to another to the point I've been feeling exhausted and unable to complete a sentence in prayer. Thank you

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Winn Collier's avatar

Mercy to you through the troubled waters

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Ann Gemmel's avatar

Thank you for this Winn. So beautiful and freeing. It’s really all Him in ever so many ways - we simple pay attention and in some measure yield. But I am coming to understand - even the yielding is a grace He both initiates within us and bestows upon us.

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Matthew White's avatar

Thank you for sharing this Winn. It is such a timely and eloquent read full of rich wisdom for today. Ever since being ordained, but truthfully, for most of my adult life, I have wrestled with those crippling sensations of disappointment and self-loathing when I feel like my prayer life leaves a lot to be desired and that I’m not praying as often as I “should” be. Yes and Amen to more devotion and less duty! I believe there is far more joy to enjoy and freedom to be found if only we could break through the ice of hollow religious obligation. Thanks again

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Winn Collier's avatar

The Shame sure can get us. Here’s to joy.

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