Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Derek J. Morris
MorrisD@gc.adventist.org
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Methodology
The purpose of this study is to help you in your journey toward experiencing
intimate communion with God. Our goal is not simply the conveying of
information but life transformation. We will explore how to “set the Lord
ever before us” (Psalm 16:8) and experience “fullness of joy” in His presence
(Psalm 16:11).
In order to maximize the learning experience, this study will include three
components:
1. Information
2. Experience
3. Reflection
It would be helpful if you formed a learning group with others who want to
experience intimate communion with God. You can share insights together
and learn from each other.
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b. Write a brief explanation of the graph, noting key events and
experiences that have been a significant influence on your
spiritual journey. These may be both positive and negative.
2. List factors that were a positive influence in past spiritual growth that
might also help in the future. Reflect on what you have written below
and if possible share these insights with your learning group or with a
Christian friend.
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II. WHAT IS CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY?
A. Definition
1. Develop a concise definition of Christian spirituality. You can
work on this assignment by yourself or with your learning group.
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d. “If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself
better….There is help for us only in God….We can do
nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we
are.”1
1
Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, 31.
2
Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, 171.
3
Ibid, 51.
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III. PRAYER
“Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary
in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive
Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” 4
a. Luke 11:1-4
b. Matthew 6:5-13
4
Steps to Christ, 93.
5
Ibid, 93-94.
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f. “No other life was ever so crowded with labor and
responsibility as was that of Jesus; yet how often He was
found in prayer.”6
6
The Desire of Ages, 362.
7
Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, 1:295.
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid, 341.
10
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 519.
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2. We were never taught how to pray.
a. Our past experience and education did not prepare us to be
men and women of prayer. Notice the emphasis at the
schools of the prophets:
i. “A spirit of devotion was cherished. Not only were
the students taught the duty of prayer, but they
were taught how to pray, how to approach their
Creator, how to exercise faith in Him and how to
understand and obey the teachings of His Spirit.”11
ii. “The instructors were not only versed in divine
truth, but had themselves enjoyed communion with
God, and had received the special endowment of His
Spirit. They had the respect and confidence of the
people, both for learning and for piety.”12
11
Ellen G. White, Education, 47.
12
Ibid, 46.
13
For more information about the armor of God, visit www.radicalprotection.com.
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THE LORD’S PRAYER
-a model for prayer
Conclude by giving praise and glory to God: “Yours in the kingdom, the power, and
the glory, forever, Amen.”
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THE SANCTUARY
-a model for prayer
7 6 3 2 1
KEY:
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ENCOUNTERING GOD IN PRAYER
-a model for prayer
by Juanita Kretschmar
1. Ask the Father for the covering of the Holy Spirit bringing the presence of
Jesus. Claim the blood of Jesus over all sin. Ask for angels to guard you, since
He has promised. Ask Him to make sure that no other influences or thoughts
will be allowed to disturb, that He will protect.
3. Invite Him to search your life for a revelation of hidden sin. Allow Him to take
you back to childhood if necessary. Take time to be attentive and listen.
5. Ask for a deeper repentance. Since it is a gift, thank Him, whether you feel
anything or not.
6. By your own free choice, tell your Heavenly Father you give Him permission
to remove the sin and sense of guilt or condemnation that came with the sin.
Let God know you are willing to allow Him to place the burden you have been
carrying on the shoulders of His Son. Accept Jesus' desire to release you from
this guilt. Christ wants to do this for you. Be sure to express thanks aloud.
7. Ask God what He has for you in exchange. What characteristic of Jesus is He
waiting to give you? What gift of guidance or insight is He making available?
Take time to be attentive and listen.
8. Let God know you will accept that gift (whatever thought, word, or picture He
brings to your mind). Be sure to thank Him aloud.
10. At the time you are accepting gifts from God, if He has just impressed you of
specific instances of sin, you may want to ask what help He would have sent if
you had turned to Him fully in that earlier moment of temptation. Or you may
ask what Jesus would have done in your place. He may give you delightful
insights.
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11. You may want to ask Him at the final moments of this specific prayer if there
is anything or anyone else He wants you to pray about or for, or if there is any
particular instruction He wants to share with you, etc. Take time to be
attentive and listen.
12. Be sure to praise Him aloud as you end the time of prayer. You'll want to.
He's a wonderful God, and a marvelous, generous, loving Friend.
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THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
-a model for prayer
How to: As a special time of prayer for physical and spiritual protection,
make a conscious decision to put on the whole armor of God:
Take up the Shield of Faith with which I can extinguish all the
fiery darts of the evil one
And take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
Now go forward in the strength of the Lord, and remember the counsel of
Scripture that follows: "Pray in the Spirit at all times."
Those who will put on the whole armor of God and devote some time
every day to meditation and prayer and to the study of the Scriptures
will be connected with heaven and will have a saving, transforming
influence upon those around them. Great thoughts, noble aspirations,
clear perceptions of truth and duty to God, will be theirs....They will
feel that heaven's glories are for them, and they will become refined,
elevated, ennobled by this intimate acquaintance with God. 14
14
Testimonies for the Church, 5:112-113.
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IV. FASTING
A. Types of fast
1. Health fast
2. Hunger strike
3. Biblical fast
a. Normal fast
i. No food but free use of water
ii. Luke 4:1-2
iii. “The fasting which the word of God enjoins is
something more than a form. It does not consist
merely in refusing food, in wearing sackcloth, in
sprinkling ashes upon the head. He who fasts in real
sorrow for sin will never court display. The object of
the fast which God calls upon us to keep is not to
afflict the body for the sin of the soul, but to aid us in
perceiving the grievous character of sin, in humbling
the heart before God and receiving His pardoning
grace.”15
iv. “For certain things, fasting and prayer are
recommended and appropriate. In the hand of God
they are a means of cleansing the heart and
promoting a receptive frame of mind. We obtain
answers to our prayers because we humble our
souls before God.”16
v. “The spirit of true fasting and prayer is the spirit
which yields mind, heart and will to God.”17
b. Partial fast
i. Limited amount of simple food
ii. Daniel 10:3
iii. “Now and onward till the close of time the people of
God should be more earnest, more wide-awake, not
trusting in their own wisdom, but in the wisdom of
their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting
and prayer. Entire abstinence from food may not be
required, but they should eat sparingly of the most
simple food.”18
iv. “The true fasting which should be recommended to
all, is abstinence from every stimulating kind of
food, and the proper use of wholesome, simple food,
15
Ellen G. White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 87.
16
Ellen G. White, Counsels of Diet and Foods, 187-188.
17
Ibid, 189.
18
Ibid, 188-189.
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which God has provided in abundance. Men need to
think less about what they shall eat and drink of
temporal food and much more in regard to the food
from heaven, that will give tone and vitality to the
whole religious experience.”19
c. Absolute fast
i. No food and no water
ii. Esther 4:16
iii. Acts 9:9
iv. “All the fasting in the world will not take the place of
simple trust in the word of God.”20
d. Supernatural fast
i. No food or water with increased vitality
ii. Deuteronomy 9:9
iii. “You are not called upon to fast forty days. The Lord
bore that fast for you in the wilderness of
temptation. There would be no virtue in such a fast;
but there is virtue in the blood of Christ.”21
a. Matthew 6:16-18
b. Matthew 9:14-15
2. What do you learn about fasting from the teachings of Jesus? Make
notes in the space below.
19
Counsels on Diets and Foods, 188.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid.
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C. The purpose of a biblical fast
1. It helps you to focus your attention upon God.
2. It calls you to prayer.
3. It exposes those things that control you.
E. Share your own experiences with fasting with a Christian friend or with
your learning group. What lessons has God taught you?
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V. MEDITATION ON THE WORD AND WORKS OF GOD
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—
meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8
22
Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, 59-60.
23
Education, 252.
24
Ellen G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, 110.
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and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side
to enlighten our minds.”25
25
Ibid.
26
Christ’s Object Lessons, 60.
27
Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, 514.
28
The Desire of Ages, 83.
29
Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 1.
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Him who bore the sins of the world. We witness the
struggle by which our reconciliation with God was
obtained. Christ is set forth crucified among us. Looking
upon the crucified Redeemer, we more fully comprehend
the magnitude and meaning of the sacrifice made by the
Majesty of heaven. The plan of salvation is glorified before
us, and the thought of Calvary awakens living and sacred
emotions in our hearts. Praise to God and the Lamb will be
in our hearts and on our lips; for pride and self-worship
cannot flourish in the soul that keeps fresh in memory the
scenes of Calvary.”30
i. “What a theme for meditation is the sacrifice that Jesus
made for lost sinners.”31
j. “As we meditate upon the perfections of the Savior, we shall
desire to be wholly transformed and renewed in the image
of His purity. There will be a hungering and thirsting of
soul to become like Him whom we adore. The more our
thoughts are upon Christ, the more we shall speak of Him to
others and represent Him to the world.”32
30
Ibid, 661.
31
Testimonies for the Church, 5:316.
32
Steps to Christ, 89.
33
Testimonies for the Church, 5:113.
34
The Desire of Ages, 126.
35
Testimonies for the Church, 2:187.
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C. A Definition of Christian Meditation
1. Based on the material that you have just studied, develop a concise
definition of Christian meditation. Write your definition below.
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VI. STUDY
36
Steps to Christ, 90.
37
Ibid, 89.
38
Testimonies for the Church, 6:393.
39
Ibid, 4:526.
40
Education, 189.
41
Ibid, 120.
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6. “As we contemplate the beauty of nature, as we study its lessons in
the cultivation of the soil, in the growth of the trees, in all the
wonders of earth and sea and sky, there will come to us a new
perception of truth.”42
D. How to study
1. Pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit
a. John 16:12-14
b. “Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before
opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of
the Holy Spirit, and it will be given.”46
c. “A true knowledge of the Bible can be gained only through
the aid of that Spirit by whom the word was given.”47
2. Read carefully and thoughtfully
a. 2 Timothy 2:15
42
Christ’s Object Lessons, 126.
43
Testimonies for the Church, 2:454-455.
44
Ibid, 5:234.
45
Ibid, 8:298.
46
Steps to Christ, 91.
47
Education, 189.
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b. “There is but little benefit derived from a hasty reading of
the Scriptures. One may read the whole Bible through and
yet fail to see its beauty or comprehend its deep and hidden
meaning. One passage studied until its significance is clear
to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is
evident, is of more value that the perusal of many chapters
with no definite purpose in view and no positive
instruction gained.”48
c. “Be not only Bible readers, but earnest Bible students, that
you may know that God requires of you. You need an
experimental knowledge of how to do His will. Christ is our
Teacher.”49
d. “In daily study the verse-by-verse method is often most
helpful. Let the student take one verse, and concentrate the
mind on ascertaining the thought that God has put into that
verse for him, and then dwell upon the thought until it
becomes his own.”50
3. Take notes
a. Record the lessons that you learn from your prayerful
study time.
b. These insights will be helpful for times of meditation and
prayer.
4. Commit precious truths to memory
a. Psalm 119:11
b. “Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read
it; fix the texts in your memory. Even while you are
walking the streets you may read a passage and meditate
upon it, thus fixing it in the mind.”51
c. “Let the important passages of Scripture...be committed to
memory....Though at first the memory may be defective, it
will gain strength by exercise, so that after a time you will
delight thus to treasure up the precious words of truth.” 52
d. “Often He (Jesus) expressed the gladness of His heart by
singing Psalms and spiritual songs. Often the dwellers of
Nazareth heard his voice raised in praise and thanksgiving
to God. He held communion with heaven in song;….His
praise seemed to banish the evil angels and, like incense, fill
the place with fragrance. The minds of His hearers were
carried from this earthly exile, to the heavenly home.”53
48
Steps to Christ, 90.
49
Testimonies for the Church, 6:161.
50
Education, 189.
51
Steps to Christ, 90.
52
Ellen G. White, Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 42.
53
The Desire of Ages, 73.
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e. “You need the treasures of God's Word hidden in your
heart....The heart that is stored with the precious truths of
God's Word is fortified against the temptation of Satan,
against impure thoughts and unholy actions....Let us
commit its promises to memory, so that, when we are
deprived of our Bibles, we may still be in possession of the
Word of God.”54
VII. EPILOGUE
This workbook is a brief introduction to the study of Christian spirituality—
how to experience intimate communion with God. May you continue to
“grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To
Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). At each step of
your journey, give thanks to God and share what you have learned with
others. 55
54
Ellen G. White, My Life Today, 28.
55
Have you been blessed by God as a result of this study? Please send your
testimony and feedback to MorrisD@gc.adventist.org.
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