Throughout I will be seeking to name our experiences of prayer, a little like Adam in the Garden naming the animals. I hope in this way to define something of the character of our dialogue with God. Countless people, you see, pray far more than they know. Often they have such a "stained-glass" image of prayer that they fail to recognize what they are experiencing as prayer and so condemn themselves for not praying. And so I trust that many passages in this book will be instantly recognizable -- making you think, "Of course! I've experienced that!" By naming our experiences, I hope to increase our understanding of what God is doing among us so we can be more intentional in our practice.

I should, at the outset, comment on the special linguistic problem in addressing God. The personal pronoun is one expression of this, and attempts to solve this problem with dashes and slashes are semantically awkward and aesthetically abhorrent. I have, therefore, chosen to follow the standard usage of the masculine pronoun, although I am keenly aware of the inadequacies of this approach. I am the first to admit that our language is simply limited here. Clearly, God incorporates and transcends our categories of sexuality -- that is, God is not a male deity as opposed to a female deity.

Actually, Jesus' use of "Abba praying" was an inclusive action. By the use of the diminutive for "father," Jesus reveals that our relationship with God involves not only the strength and empowerment commonly identified with masculinity, but also the nurturing and caring intimacy often associated with femininity.

A brief note about the structure of this book might be useful. Without pressing the analogy too far, it is helpful to see that the three movements into prayer are trinitarian in character. The movement inward (Part I) is prayer to God the Son, Jesus Christ, which corresponds to his role as Savior and Teacher among us. The movement upward (Part II) is prayer to God the Father, which corresponds to his role as sovereign King and eternal Lover among us. The movement outward (Part III) is prayer to God the Holy Spirit, which corresponds to his role as Empowerer and Evangelist among us. The movement inward comes first simply because God has revealed himself to us most fully and most clearly in Jesus Christ.

One small word of counsel before we strike out onto this disciplined journey into the holy place: healthy prayer necessitates frequent experiences of the common, earthy, run-of-the-mill variety. Like walks, and talks, and good wholesome laughter. Like work in the yard, and chitchat with the neighbors, and washing windows. Like loving our spouse, and playing with our kids, and working with our colleagues. To be spiritually fit to scale the Himalayas of the spirit, we need regular exercise in the hills and valleys of ordinary life.

Copyright © 1992 by Richard J. Foster