PRAYER GUIDES
The following devotionals can be used by individuals or adapted for a small group setting unless otherwise specified. Click any of the links below to preview the content. To receive the full devotional, e-mail your request to office@renewalminnw.org.
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL GUIDES
SMALL GROUP STUDY
LEARNING TO LISTEN:
INHABITING THE SPACE BETWEEN ASKING AND RECEIVING
BY REV. DAVID ROHRER (EMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BOTHELL, WA)
Suggested Contribution: $15
Now more than ever, there is something sacred, something urgent about the art of listening. This Lenten study, designed for a small group, trains us in the art of listening—to the truth about ourselves, and to God. This guide urges us to live into the expectation that God has something to say, and that God wants us to hear it.
During each of the five weeks of this study, you’ll explore five Psalms that teach us how to occupy that listening space in prayer.
LETTING GOD LOVE US:
LENTEN GUIDE TO PRAYER
BY REV. DAVID ROHRER
Suggested Contribution: $10
The Lenten journey begins with a reminder of our great need and ends with a proclamation of what God has done to meet it. On Ash Wednesday we hear, “You are dust and to dust you return”—reminding us of the limits of our mortality, and our utter dependence on God. On Easter Sunday, we hear “He is Risen!” and hear an invitation to take up the new life God is calling us to in Jesus Christ. In between, we contemplate what it means to receive God’s love—and how we should respond to it.
This guide builds on that theme of letting God love us. As we explore and pray through the biblical texts from Book of Hosea, the Gospels, and the Psalms, our goal is to hear and respond to God’s offer of love. This is not a Bible study so much as an opportunity to listen for the voice of God in scripture and consider our response.
In addition to weekly readings, this guide encourages morning and evening prayer exercises.
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES FOR LIFE:
DAILY LENTEN DEVOTIONS AND PRAYERS BASED ON THE PRACTICES OF THE HISTORICAL CHURCH
BY REV. DENISE EASTER & REV. DIANNA KUNCE (RENEWAL MINISTRIES NW)
Suggested Contribution: $10
This guide, which begins on Ash Wednesday, invites us to engage more deeply with God. Each week, you’ll consider one area of self-sacrifice (disengagement) as well as one spiritual giant of the ancient church and his/her practice of prayer. Reflection on scripture is integral to this guide.
Themes for each week: Week 1—Solitude; Week 2 – Silence; Week 3—Humility; Week 4—Frugality; Week 5—Chastity; Week 6—Fasting; Holy Week—Sacrifice.
Preview “Spiritual Engagement: Spiritual Disciplines for Life”
WHY JESUS CAME, A STUDY IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
BY REV. DR. NEIL TRAINER (CALVIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, SHORELINE, WA)
Suggested Contribution: $10
This six-week study of the Gospel of John asks: Why did Jesus come? As you read the selected passages, ask that question often. The text will ask you a question of its own: Now that Jesus has come, what is required of me? This devotional is less about information, more about transformation.
HOLY WEEK PRAYER GUIDE
“SEVEN DAYS AND SEVEN SHADOWS – HOW THE CROSS INTERSECTS OUR LIVES TODAY”
BY REV. DR. PAUL STRAWN
Suggested Contribution: $10
Often, we think of a shadow as something dark and even sinister—but it doesn’t have to be. The cross of Christ, in all its torturous and hideous history, becomes for his followers a sign and symbol of great hope. The shadow cast by the cross is powerful and victorious, and it reaches across our entire lives. In this guide, each day will examine a different intersection of that shadow on the roadmap of our lives to show that the Son who casts this constant shadow is not only our Savior but also our traveling companion.
Preview “Seven Days and Seven Shadows – A Prayer Guide for Holy Week”