Message: “The Prayerful Life, vol. 4: Prayer and Action” from Ross Stackhouse

Message at 35:00. None of us needs just one more thing to do. That’s why the conclusion of this series is not just us telling you: Okay, now go pray more. No, we want to bring this series about prayer together with a powerful, life-giving invitation from Jesus and some very practical thoughts on how to RSVP to that invite. At the end of the day, “The Bible is not a rule book or a set of directions; it’s a love story.” And that love story culminates in the life of Jesus. Jesus invites us to remain in his love. How do we do that? Well, one giant way is prayer–not as a religious task or obligation but as an ongoing spiritual way of life and friendship with Christ that deepens and deepens. Scripture: John 15:

Related Topics: discipleship | More Messages from Ross Stackhouse

From Series: "The Prayerful Life: a Series for Beginners, Experts & Skeptics"

Everyone has experiences with and opinions about prayer. Though many folks have tons of good experiences and positive views of prayer, there are still many others (perhaps more) who struggle with prayer. What if prayer--for those with the good experiences and those with the not-so-good experiences--is like a land we haven't fully discovered yet? We want to help folks grow in prayer as the ultimate space of growing intimacy with God and being shaped by God’s heart for an eternal kind of life in the here and now and beyond. Prayer is the space where we are still with God, listen to God, thank God, get angry at God, grieve with God, confess to God, petition God. It’s a lifelong garden of relationship where we cultivate trust with the One who made us, saves us, and sustains us. It’s the incubator where the Spirit shapes us so we join Jesus in his restoring work so Earth is as it is in heaven.