We often shoulder unhealthy expectations of what prayer should be or how it should sound. We end up believing that somehow there is a right time to pray, a right way to pray, right words to say, even right position we need to be in to pray.

Sometimes we don’t know where to start. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where the way we have always prayed is no longer as meaningful or we aren’t feeling the same connection to God we used to when we prayed.

Or maybe circumstances are simply making hard to even want to pray. Maybe we wonder if God is even listening.

Maybe you have found prayer to be a life-giving practice and have been exploring different ways of praying for years - what a gift that would be!

Most likely we are a combination of these thoughts and experiences.

I wonder – would you be open to reimagining prayer?

There are many types of prayers and even more ways to engage in a prayer practice. Prayer is simply an interactive conversation with God and something we can build step by step over time. It can – and will – look uniquely for each of us and differently in our own life over time.

Mike Mason in his book, Practicing the Presence of People, writes, "Prayer is like one's own fingerprints. You cannot have someone else's prayer life. You can only have your own."

I find this encouraging and hope you do too.

I wonder – have you ever heard that God wants you to sound like you when you pray?! Could you dare to believe it? Can you dare to believe that God can help you reimagine prayer and find ways for you to connect deeply with Him?

Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray – I want to encourage you that prayer CAN be learned. And far more things can be prayer than you might imagine.

Prayer is a practice, and it’s a posture of heart and mind. Intentional prayer – no matter what it looks like (worded or un-worded, moving or still, eyes open or shut, walking, doing household chores or yard work, alone or in community, puttering on a project… the options are unlimited…) – is a good practice and posture which creates the space for God to do what only He can do.

“The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into such a life of communion with the Father that, by the power of the Spirit, we are increasingly conformed to the image of the Son.”

― Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home

Last fall when we discerned that prayer was one of our initiatives for 2025, Pastor Stacey and I got curious if this was the year to launch mini retreats for our church. We had been dreaming about offering spiritual formation focused retreats for years. Since Fall, Pastor Stacey, Pastor Chuck, and I have been meeting and planning and we are ready to launch