Teach us to Breathe

A few years back, I went on vacation with the simple goal of reading a few books. I grabbed this one almost as an afterthought, just to add to the stack. 

When we arrived, I finished one of the books, and then I picked this one up. And honestly, it gripped me (I didn’t even read the others). It wasn’t just another book on prayer—it was such a well-put-together guide on prayer that I knew right then I’d be teaching from it.

Most of what we’ll talk about today comes out of this book. It’s written like a dialogue over scripture, and it really captures how vital prayer is for us as a community. In order to pray as a community we must first learn to pray as individuals.

Now, let me ask you—how many of us have had a mother or grandmother say to us, “I’ve been praying for you”? 

As a pastor, I’ve heard countless stories of mothers who spent their whole lives on their knees, praying for their children. I had someone like that in my life too—my great-grandmother although I didn’t know it until later in life.