The study and practice of prayer within a congregational setting

William H Ralston

Etd

The study and practice of prayer within a congregational setting

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

William H Ralston. The Study and Practice of Prayer Within a Congregational Setting. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/1939a43b-69f6-4784-9017-5347ef0cc0ea.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

W. H. Ralston. The study and practice of prayer within a congregational setting. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/1939a43b-69f6-4784-9017-5347ef0cc0ea

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

William H Ralston. The Study and Practice of Prayer Within a Congregational Setting. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/1939a43b-69f6-4784-9017-5347ef0cc0ea.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

William H Ralston

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

This work is a study focused on the effect and power of prayer in the lives of members of a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation. It is concerned with questions having to do with the discipline of prayer in the spiritual development of Christians. A primary premise of the work is that greater practice of prayer and a more disciplined prayer life will aid and encourage spiritual growth. The author suggests that many followers of Jesus Christ are not utilizing the great gift of prayer in their lives. The study attempts to correlate greater participation in prayer and the spiritual development of the one who is praying. Further, there is an attempt to assess at what point the participants believed that there was a 'diminishing return' to their prayer life, i.e., how much time dedicated to prayer is enough each day. Further, there is an attempt to correlate increased activity of prayer and the spiritual revitalization of an entire congregation. The thesis begins with theological reflection on the nature and value of prayer. The work moves on to an historical analysis of the Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church, followed by a review of the literature pertinent to the subject. The project design is discussed, and the outcomes of the project are noted. The last chapter deals with the project's implications for ministry.

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