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A Sustained and Regular Habit - Part 2

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests…
— Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)


1. Open in prayer

2. Watch Video (60 min.)

 


3. Questions for group discussion (or individual reflection)

(I) C.S. Lewis, or “Jack,” lost his mother, at the age of nine. A few days before she died, and knowing her death was imminent, Mrs. Lewis prayed for her two sons (Jack and his brother Warren, or “Warnie”) and gave each of them a Bible which she signed. The Bible shown near the beginning of the video is the one Mrs. Lewis gave to Warnie. Have you ever been given a Bible, e.g., by a family member, a friend, or your church? Why do you think they gave you that Bible? Have you ever given a Bible to someone else?

(II) What were Lewis’s views on whether and how our lives and prayers influence God? What are your views? [STSP, pp. 39, 46]

(III) Do you sometimes “pray the Scriptures”? How do you do that, or how might you do that?

(IV) How did Lewis’s understanding of praise change over the course of his life? Do you agree with Lewis’s statement that “we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation”? What steps could you take to enrich your praise life? [STSP, pp. 47-49]

4. Read a Reflections: “Getting a Bigger View of Prayer” (1 page)

5. Close in prayer


Personal Action Steps

(1) Dorsett observes that Lewis’s correspondence shows that he interceded faithfully for an unusually large number of people and also humbly sought prayer for himself. Make a list of people you might approach to pray for you, and identify one person you will call during the next week to discuss (or schedule a time to discuss) the best means to communicate your needs.

(2) Make plans to pray two Psalms during the next week. Identify the two Psalms and the days you will pray them.

(3) Dorsett notes that late in his life, Lewis observed that petitionary prayer is “both allowed and commanded to us: ‘Give us our daily bread,” but also maintained that “prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it, confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God shows Himself to us.” What types of prayer would you like to add to your current prayer life? How would you accomplish that? Write down a specific step you will take during the next week to enrich your regular prayer life in this area.

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Lyle Dorsett

Lyle Dorsett, Professor, holds the Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism at Beeson Divinity School in Samford University. He taught courses in evangelism, spiritual formation and church history. He also serves as the pastor of Christ the King Anglican Church in Homewood, Alabama. Lyle received his PhD in American history and has published numerous books, including several Christian biographies and three works on C. S. Lewis.

 

COPYRIGHT: This publication is published by C.S. Lewis Institute; 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 301; Springfield, VA 22151. Portions of the publication may be reproduced for noncommercial, local church or ministry use without prior permission. Electronic copies of the PDF files may be duplicated and transmitted via e-mail for personal and church use. Articles may not be modified without prior written permission of the Institute. For questions, contact the Institute: 703.914.5602 or email us.

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