What was Prayer to the Early Christians?

Our passage this week was from Phi 4:6-7.

The passage reads, "6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. "

What's very interesting about this passage is the meaning and definition of the word "prayer." For most of us, including myself, until I read the word in Greek, we often think of prayer as a verb, i.e. the act of going on our knees to ask GOD for something we deeply need. And while prayer is definitely this, it also soooo much more!

In the Greek, the word prayer is the noun "Proseuche," which means a PLACE.

This is a place that our hearts long for and desire to meet GOD.

For the Jews, this was a place, outside the cities, where they had no synagogue, typically along a body of water, like a bank of a stream or the shores of the sea, for the ceremonial washing of the hands before prayer.

Do you see it?

Think of prayer as a PLACE!

A place where you DESIRE to run to meet GOD. Your Quiet Time with GOD is AWESOME. There is nothing SWEETER than this!

Reflection Questions:

• Do you have a Place where you long to meet GOD? Perhaps it's a morning walk? Early morning drive, with worship music? Morning Quiet Time? Evening Quiet Time? Where is your Joyous Meeting Place with GOD?

• Do you live close to a park or trail where you can begin to meet with GOD?

• What does your Quiet Time routine look like?

• How would you like to improve your Quiet Time with GOD?

• It's never too late. Enjoy HIM :)

Here is a Simple Model you can use for your Quiet Time: https://www.agapeministries.info/quiettimewithgod