The force of the human being is prayer… To pray is to breathe alongside God. To pray is to give your life to God and to dedicate it to him. To pray is to place your trust in God.
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer taught his students that time alone with God in prayer is the very foundation of our life in Christ and our ministry to the world. And he told them, “The Psalter is the greatest school of prayer.”
Prayer and time alone with God are the foundations of our faith and the abundant life in Christ. Yet we receive little training in these basic practices that anchor and sustain us in the busyness and loneliness of our often-hectic lifestyle.
You are invited to learn how to breathe alongside God as Bonhoeffer taught on a half-day Introduction to Contemplative Prayer Retreat at The Moor, our prayer garden at the XMA office in Start, Louisiana. Come revel in God’s beautiful creation as we explore an introduction to contemplative prayer recovering ancient words and practices that have sustained the church for millennia. We will spend extended time in silence and solitude mediating on God and His Word
In this brief, introductory retreat we will cover the first 2 sessions of the 4 sessions which make up our full-day Contemplative Prayer Retreat. You may then stay to complete the final 2 sessions on your own later.