Week 5- Prayer Projects

Below is this Week's Prayer Projects. Sorry we got a little behind from last week!  I just posted Week 4 Prayer Projects as well. You can also find a listing on our blog of all the Prayer Projects. I condensed the list into links, so it wouldn't be as overwhelming.

We are finishing up our blog entry now reflecting on our lecture, so we will post that soon!

Also, one of our friends in class has recorded all the Dr. Coe's lectures. He will be giving them to us this next week, so we will put up audio versions of the lectures we hear in class! If you would like to have a visual, feel free to watch his general lectures through youtube because he generally covers the same material.

NEXT week, we are going on our 48 hour Silent Retreat! (Tuesday-Thursday). We are looking
forward to it and will give you an update when we return. Our Professors recommended a few books to choose from to have with us as a resource (but not to read it all!). Each book gives a retreat structure laid out in the retreat plan found in each book. We chose Wilderness Time (Renovare) by Emilie Griffin. It appealed to us both separately, haha, shows we are married!

1. Intro to Spiritual Formation Prayer Project (60 mins)

*note...all these questions are just guides towards reflection. Not all need to be reflected on or even answered. Dr. Coe simply wants to give direction on a path to prayer and reflect.

(15 min) Ask the Lord, to what degree has your community (the one you grew in, church community) done Spiritual Theology? or not?

(15 min) To what degree have you done this work of Spiritual Theology? How much have you worked on this in your life? Look at others in this way? What have you learned? Are you hitting walls? Or is it opening doors?

(15 min) How opaque is your heart? Is there a lot of clarity when you look inside? Into what is going on in your struggles? Or are you unsure why you are angry, fearful, depressed? Do you have clarity when you look at others?

(15 min) What is it like to be with yourself? What do you do with yourself? Do you avoid looking at yourself? Are you a perfectionist-your worst critic? Do you not care anymore? Are you rigorous? IS it easy for you to sit with yourself and let God be with you in this? How honest am I with myself? Or is it just with people it's difficult to be honest? Can I do Spiritual Theology on myself or do I need someone else?

2. Intro to Retreat Prayer Project

*This week we are doing a unique prayer time geared towards preparing us to start counseling. We will be attending 25 sessions of professional counseling over the course of our program. You are still welcome to reflect as well if you would like! Here it is:

Counseling Session Prayer Project

The reality of the fall is that all of us have been deeply affected by sin; we are sinned against and we sin. There are times in our lives and in the lives of those we minister to that the impact of sin is so wounding that help is required. A relationship with a specifically gifted and trained counselor who will walk with us through these difficult experiences is needed. We are asking that each student taking 706 have one session with a therapist at the Biola Counseling Center so that you have a firsthand experience of this kind of relationship. A portion of this time will also be used to receive feedback on your MMPI assessment.

Not all of your experiences will be the same. Most of our students have a good experience in their session, but the reality is that for some this will not be the case. Having a good counseling experience has much to do with having a good match between you and the therapist as well as your own preparation and mindset.

Making the most of this time

In a counseling relationship it is important to have a goal. Sometimes this goal can be very specific (ex. I want help with this specific issue or behavior), other times it can be more general (I want to grow in my ability to have intimate relationships with God and others). While this session is not “normal” in that this may not be a time where you feel a desire and need to go to counseling, in order to get the most from this experience it is important to discern in your life how you may best use this time, and what the Lord has for you through this experience.

Prayer and Journal

1. Three times during the next week, find a quiet, comfortable place to get away from your normal “life” of work and ministry, where you will not be interrupted for 20 minutes. (not driving in your car - no phone, TV, music, etc.)

2. For the first time of prayer, simply have a conversation with the Lord Jesus about how you feel about this assignment and experience. Again, converse with Him as one close friend to another. End this time with a simple prayer of submission – Not my will but Yours be done. (20 min.)

3. For the second of these times, begin to ask the Lord what he would have you ask for during this time, and what He would have you share. Again, end this time with a simple prayer submission – Not my will but Yours be done. (20 min.)

4. For the third of these times, again ask the Lord what he would have for you from this experience. Again, end this time with a simple prayer submission – Not my will but Yours be done. (20 min.)

5. Write one page about these 3 times of prayer. Include when and where you prayed, how many minutes you prayed, what happened each time. Pay special attention to the direction of your thoughts and feelings. Also include in this report what you feel led to have as your goal. Make this specific and concrete. Also include any questions that you may have for the therapist.