Inspirations from Kerstin Hack

Tag: prayer (Page 1 of 2)

How I pray – my pattern for prayer

A dear friend recently told me, that she finds ist hard to sit and pray. And asked me: “How do you pray?”

I told her that I usually do not sit when I pray. I generally do not like to sit – I built myself a standing desk and a walking desk (a treadmill with a laptop stand) because sitting for a long time is not good for your body. The body is not made for sitting long term – not even in prayer.

Prayer postures

Most religious traditions honor that. So body posture for prayer includes

  • lying (I like that)
  • kneeling
  • standing – often with hands lifted up
  • dancing
  • walking

I like talking to God when I walk – it comes very natural to me.

Labyrinths as Prayer tools

As I do not have the time to go to a park every morning two artistic friends, Elizabeth and Scott, created a labyrinth on the roof of my ship for me. Especially in the middle ages Labyrinths were popular as a framework to hold your steps and your mind while you prayed. Some of them – for example the one in the Chartres Cathedral are really big – and it takes about one hour to reach the center.  I have a pinterest collection of Labyrinths.

My labyrinth is a bit smaller – but what I love about it is that it holds me and my steps, leads me to the center – marked by a heart and then from there back “to the world”. I can do a quick run through the labyrinth in a few minutes or take my time and very slowly walk and pray.

What I love about it is that et every turn the scenery changes. I see water on one side, factories on the other,. In some positions the sun shines in my face, in others she warms my back (providing she is there -after all i live in Germany). This change of scenery often inspires my prayers. So one time as I was praying about a woman who intensely requested something from me I did not want to give, I saw a buoy – it reminded me of my right and obligation to set healthy boundaries.

So – how do I pray

As mentioned I love to chat. But at times I do enjoy a more structured approach. This is how I pray then.

  • Connection:  Our father in Heaven

All prayer is a means for connection. So I remind myself that I am a daughter of a good heavenly father. IF the sun is out I give myself some moments or minutes to simply feel the sunshine on my face as a touch of his love. I also take time to think about his attributes and reflect and comment on them and express how they affect and touch me.

  • Thankfulness: Hallowed be your name

I take time to express my thankfulness. When my brain is still tired in the morning often the same things come to mind: Security (no war), Health, provision. To be a bit more diverse  it helps me to think about thankfulness in different categories: What am I thankful for in my Job, in my friendships, in my last experiences?

  • Learning to forgive Forgiveness:  Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us.

Forgiveness has so many shades and aspects that I wrote a whole training manual about it: Learning to forgive. n(also available as ebook) In my mornings I often ask the Lord to show me if there is someone I need to forgive. Sometimes it is someone else, but very often that someone is myself. To make forgiveness more tangible I imagine myself standing in front of the person  looking that person (or myself) in the eye and say: “I forgive you!” As usually there is some accusation and anger involved (who is without sin) I also imagine asking for forgiveness from them and father God. And  also receiving His forgiveness as a gift. I love it that the word give is included in the word forgiveness.

  • Long-Term  Perspective: Your kingdom come!

This part can include prayers for the world, political and social situation, but very often I focus on how I would like to be available for God to be used to bring his kingdom. I think and communicate about the person he would like me to become in the long run to advance his blessing on the earth.  Here I also find it helpful not to take the whole package, but think about different aspects each day: My character. my relationships, my business.  I try to catch a glimpse of the picture of what he wants me to become in these areas and pray into it.

  • Short-term  Perspective: Your kingdom come…today!

Here I break the big picture into what it means for today. I run through the schedule of my day and think of the best, most god-honoring and life-filled way to go through this particular day. In my mind I imagine myself working with focus, envision myself meeting people in real life or on the phone with attention etc.

  • Asking for help and reminding myself of his strength:  Give us this day our daily bread … lead us not into temptation… deliver us… yours is the kingdom and the Glory…

Feeling and expressing my need for help and company. He is so good. And he is with my.

As you have probably noted much of my prayer practice follows the Lord prayer.

I personally like to put in then thankfulness right at the beginning and the forgiveness earlier in the prayer – then the “ugly stuff” is dealt with. But following it in the way Jesus taught it of course is the original.

My Ship, Pirates and Ransom

image_1366702828532965YES – this was the idea

To finish the steel works and to have a safe and secure ship! And a beautiful one, too. And we did it. The steel works are finished and the ship now is safe and more beautiful than ever. I am happy!

OH NO – that was NOT the idea

It is normal in building that in the end costs are higher than planned. I had planned for a few thousand Euro of extra costs. Two days ago I was told that I have to pay 20.000+ Euro more –  in additon to what I had already paid. This is partly doe to the long and cold winter that delayed a lot of work and made it much more expensive (extra heating etc.) – and due to the flood we had that cost us a lot.I had not expected a sum as large as that. I am unhappy!

Ship held hostage 

What is really bad: If I do not pay the money or at least a large downpayment in the next days the dry dock owners will hold the ship hostage until I pay. That means that we cannot continue to work on it. YIKES.

Piratenschiff

So I need a miracle

I need a huge miracle…or a thousand small ones. This blog inspires a lot of people. I figured out: If each person who reads this Blog contributes 10 Dollar or Euro to my paypal account (info(aaaaaaaaaaaaatyttt)down-to-earth.de) I can make it.

May10 $ or € too much for you – that´s fine. Maybe you can help with 1 Dollar or a few cents. That is great too. Maybe someone else can take on a bigger part so that we all together can pay the ransom money and keep the project going It is not about a ship – it is about creating a space where people can find help and orientiation.

And yes…feel free to tell your friends about it! Maybe they want to join in, too. And your God. Ask him for one big miracle. Or a Thousand smaller ones. 

And yes – you are welcome to spend your holiday on board – and help us paint, repair and turn this ship into a place that will be a haven for many people.

Please comment if you want to be a part of making this dream reality!

A spark of happiness in the humdrum

Now it is spring….I wrote this 3 weeks ago, when it was still icy and cold…it took a while to translate…the story is still good…

There are very few weather conditions that can deter me from cycling. Today was one of them. An ice cold wind was blowing, (it was minus 17 degrees centigrade yesterday!) and I knew that after 2×40 minutes of cycling I would be frozen to the bone. So I decided to take the tube for once.

On the way back I bumped into a homeless woman who I had met before. The last time I ran into her, she told me that she was in a lot of pain. We had got off at the same station and what I actually wanted to do was to offer to pray for her – but I was too cowardly. So I “secretly” prayed for her on the way home and one other time before the next time I saw her.

Now I’d runinto her again, selling the German equivalent of the Big Issue in the underground. I gave her some money and asked how things were with her pains. She said that everything was fine. I then actually wanted to tell her that I’d prayed for her, but by that time she had already turned around and got off. Maybe another time.
I’m happy that my God obviously answered my prayer – without me knowing it. I wonder how many other prayers there are that God has answered without my knowledge.

God´s Classroom

For a while We have all come to the right place. We all sit in God´s classroom. Now, The only thing for us to do, my dear, Is to stop Throwing spitballs for a while. by Hafiz, Persian Poet

Night of worship

Germany used to have a national day for repentance and prayer. Now this has been abolished. However Christians still spend this day in prayer as

much as they can. In Berlin the young people will meet at Babelsberger Str. 37 for a night of worship and seeking Gods face starting at 6.30 p.m.

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Berlin prayer letter

Berlin is on the move. We decided to start to work on a Berlin prayer letter which will be edited monthly. Four people, two men and two women will start working on this project, soon. And other things are in the tube, too. Watch this space. Much more will happen.

Prayer for Berlin

My friends from USA (now living in Prague) who are visiting are still sleeping…yesterday we had a prayer time for Berlin celebrating the richness of what God is giving us through other nations and what we can give to nations…..wonderful richness….

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Christ for your city

Today 3000 Germans, Austrians and Swiss start praying for their cities – for 120 days. Another initiative sponsored by

or your city (Mike Pierce) that will hopefully help to soak the hard ground in our lands with prayer and prepare it for more of God to come and visit us.

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