Many readers know and love Jon Graf, founding editor of Pray! magazine and my predecessor. You probably know that Jon is now head of the Church Prayer Leaders Network. What you may not know is that Jon has recently launched a new blog that focuses on corporate prayer. In his first one, he addresses the question, "Do Churches have Corporate Passions in Prayer?"

If you miss Jon, or want to learn more about effective corporate prayer, check him out at: http://prayerleader.com/component/option,com_myblog/Itemid,174/.

A friend recently expressed surprise when I mentioned that it's really important for me to engage with God on a feelings level when I pray. I'm not sure why the idea made him uncomfortable, but it did.  I've thought a lot about our discussion since then. I keep asking myself, Why is it so important to me that God has emotions and that I can connect with Him on that level in prayer?

Here's what I've concluded so far:

 • Prayer is relational. It's not a mechanism by which we get God to do things for us, kind of like placing an order on Amazon then waiting for our stuff to arrive. Prayer is communicating with God as a Person. And this Person we call "Abba, Father" has feelings--Scripture is clear about that (for just a few examples, check out Genesis 5:6-7, Exodus 32:10, 1 Kings 3:10, and Psalm 103:1). The most intimate, deep, trusting relationships are built when two individuals share open themselves up to one another and connect at a heart level. I want to relate to God like that.

• I need to know God cares. He asks me to pour out my heart to Him (Psalm 62:8). If I'm going to be that vulnerable with Him, then I hope for a sympathetic, if not empathetic response. Thankfully, that's exactly what He offers. Speaking of His people, Israel, Isaiah 63:9 says, "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

• I want to be His friend. Abraham was called a friend of God. Jesus calls His disciples His friends. I want to be His friend, too. For His sake and not just for my own. There are things on God's heart. I want to be sympathetic to those things. Psalm 25:14 says "The LORD confides in those who fear him." I want for Him to confide in me. And sometimes He does. Sometimes He moves me to urgency or passion or tears over things or people that don't ordinarily move me. When that happens I pray, Oh, that must be on Your heart right now, Father! Show me how to keep company with You on this situation that is important to You.

I imagine more ideas will come to me as I continue pondering on this theme. But in the meantime, I'd like to hear from you. Do God's emotions influence the way you pray? How? What if God did NOT have feelings? Would your prayers change?

Tomorrow evening, October 20, I'll be a guest speaker on a teleseminar where I've been invited to share about "The Reward of a Personal Prayer Retreat"--what a personal prayer retreat is like, why it is so meaningful, and how to plan one for yourself, even if you've never experienced one before. This will be a great time for anyone, whether you're new to prayer retreats or not. And here's something fun: Everyone who calls in will have an opportunity to get a free copy of my book, Come away with Me: Pray! Magazine's Guide to Prayer Retreats.

I hope you can join me tomorrow evening. It's easy. You can call in at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time from any phone, anywhere. Dial 1 + 712-432-0232. An automated voice will prompt you to punch in the conference access code. When this happens, key in 732668 and the pound (#) sign. And that's all you have to do. The only charge to you is your regular long-distance charges.

This teleseminar is sponsored by the Church Prayer Leader's Network. If you cannot call in for the live talk tomorrow night, you can catch it in the CPLN archives through November 17, 2009. Go to www.prayerleader.com to find it. But I hope you can join me tomorrow--and remember, if you do, you will get a free copy of my book.

See you there!

I've recently joined a spiritual formation group that is encouraging me to find balance in my walk with God and to discover ever-increasing ways of making Jesus the center of all I am and do. One of our early challenges has been to try different spiritual disciplines that might help group members to experience more of Jesus' presence in every moment of our days--not just when we are actively seeking Him in prayer, meditation, worship, or Bible study. In other words, to discover how to live life in constant conversation with God. 

In my experience, when the topic of constant communion with God comes up, someone inevitably will say, "Have you ever read Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence?" That's what happened in this recent discussion, anyway. I think that's because that 17th Century Carmelite monk who served as a lowly cook in a French monastery kitchen connects more with many of us who live workaday iives than the better known mystics who were able to set aside hours for silence and contemplation. I don't know, that's just my theory.

At any rate, when I heard that this month's free product available through the Pray! webpage was a selection from NavPress' adaptation of Brother Lawrence;s classic work, I was glad. Hundreds of years later, Brother Lawrence inspires me. I think he might inspire you, too. Check him out for free by going to www.praymag.com and clicking on "Free Download."

After my husband passed away last year, a friend from church offered to do "listening prayer" with me to invite Jesus to speak to me about the pain and grief I was experiencing. Although I'd heard of emotional healing prayer, I'd never experienced it. But I was in a weak and needy place, and because I always want to discover new ways to hear from God, I agreed. My friend and another person from the prayer ministry sat with me for a couple of hours and together we asked Jesus to talk to me and bring healing to my emotional pain. And He did. I was amazed and deeply touched by what He did that day.

Specifically, I had become distrustful of God. If He'd allowed my husband to suffer 11 years of debilitating, progressive illness and had not protected me from all the fear, loneliness, exhaustion, and sorrow that came with it, what would He allow next? I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Based on the crisis my family and I experienced, I had grown doubtful of God's protection. And that's not a good place to live.

As I sat with my prayer partners that day, Jesus helped me see how the enemy had lied to me about God's character long before my husband had become ill. Even in childhood he'd planted seeds of distrust that had at first grown quietly, hidden beneath the surface. But now with this trial, these noxious weeds had sprouted and started to tangle in the garden of my heart.

My prayer partners led me to confess the lies I'd believed about God, ask His forgiveness for discrediting and disbelieving His goodness, and then they invited Jesus to speak into an old memory of a time I'd felt unprotected and alone--perhaps the first time I'd believed Satan's lie about God. Jesus did. He showed me in a very personal, memorable way, that He always had been and always will be with me in danger, and that I can trust in His heart for me.

Since that time, God has used listening prayer many times to bring peace to my soul in other areas of old woundedness and confusion. And I know He wants to do that for all of His children.

The Navigators offer an excellent seminar that teaches the principles of Listening and Healing Prayer--the same principles my prayer partners used with me (and now I pass along to others). If you could come to Colorado Springs November 5 and 6 or to Lawrenceville, Georgia (near Atlanta) November 20 and 21, consider coming to one of these seminars. If you do, you will have an opportunity to invite God to minister to your heart, soul, and emotions, and at the same time give you tools to use in sharing Jesus' healing and peace with others. For more information, email pray@navpress.com.

How about you? Have you experienced emotional healing prayer? I'd especially love to hear from prayer leaders who are part of church-based healing prayer ministries. What is Jesus doing with hurting people at your church?

A week ago, September 25, thousands of Muslim faithful gathered on Capitol Hill to pray--their first-ever public prayer event of this nature (see my blog from September 10, 2009: How Will We Respond to the Muslim Day of Prayer?"). For some Christians this concerted Islamic prayer event spelled crisis. For others, it meant opportunity. Either way, there was a ton of interest in it. So I thought you might like to hear what happened. 

An on-the-scene observer estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 Muslims attended the event--considerably fewer than the 50,000 expected. Because of the smaller than anticipated numbers, every person who attended was given the opportunity to receive a JESUS Film Project DVD and gospel literature. Those who participated in passing out the Christian resources estimated that between 50 and 60 percent received it, "some with great joy!" More than 2,500 packets were distributed, and team members reported that many positive conversations took place.

 Sounds to me like the True and Living God showed up. Seeds were sowed. Let's water them with our prayers and ask God for a harvest from this unusual planting.