When the decision of my covenant group was to study a book that we can buy at Sam’s Club, I was a little wary.
But, I’ll take Brother Lawrence any way I can get him, even distilled through a A Purpose Driven Life. Brother Lawrence modeled a form called “breath prayers.” Now, these are different from the standard prayers I often catch myself almost mindlessly saying, “Help me, Lord.” While my “help me” prayers are not all bad, they tend to be self-focused and convenience-for-me-driven.
BL, on the other hand, strained through the book I bought at Sam’s, says to choose a line of comfort or challenge or presence of God: “You are with me.” “I receive your grace.” “I want to know you.” “Help me trust you.” “I belong to you.” Rick Warren also suggests using Scripture as a mobile personal contemplative excercise (I made that part up): “For me to live is Christ” or “You will never leave me or forsake me.”
Someday–if not already today–we might be quoting Brother Warren.
