"Continuing a Lenten series on prayer: Prayer is co-operation with God. It is the purest exercise of the faculties God has given us - an exercise that links these faculties with the Maker to work out the intentions He had in mind in their creation"
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E. Stanley Jones, in his quote, provides an extensive perspective on prayer as an integral part of spiritual life and human existence, aligning it with divine intent and creation. He depicts prayer not merely as a ceremonial or rote activity however as a type of cooperation with God. This cooperation represents an engaged involvement with the divine will and purpose, suggesting that through prayer, people actively take part in manifesting God's vision in the world.
Jones highlights that prayer is "the purest workout of the faculties God has actually provided us". This highlights the idea that prayer includes making use of one's natural capabilities-- such as idea, instinct, feeling, and spirituality-- in their most sincere type. In doing so, prayer ends up being a method of refining and elevating these faculties, directing them towards a greater purpose. This process of engagement suggests that such professors were planned by God to be utilized in communion with the divine, to check out and meet the prospective imbued within them by the Creator.
Additionally, he describes prayer as an exercise that links these professors with God, indicating that prayer is a channel for communication and relationship. It is through this practice that individuals align themselves with divine intentions. By doing so, the workout goes beyond a simple individual or separated endeavor, ending up being a collective effort to understand the intents behind human development.
In essence, Jones frames prayer as an active, dynamic relationship with God, where human faculties are used as they were developed to be-- co-creators with the divine. This viewpoint welcomes followers to view prayer as a discipline that not only transforms the individual but likewise aligns them more closely with the intentions God visualized at creation, ultimately cultivating a more extensive spiritual journey.
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