Pearls of Prayer

By Marilyn Harley Irick

Pearls Of Prayer creates innovative daily prayer and offers the expressive design that is generated from the three traditional styles of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative. This is a beautiful guide for communicating with God and ultimately finding you've been called to prayer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marilyn Harley Irick
• Release date: Apr 5, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452481586

Marilyn Harley Irick

Marilyn Harley Irick was born and raised on the coastal banks of Charleston, South Carolina. She's a true Southerner, loves walking on the beach and living the slower pace of suburban life by hosting family dinners and taking simple bike rides through the neighborhood. Yet, occasionally, she's just as happy by accompanying the revved up city excursions, viewing new art works and tackling fun photos to enhance her hobby. After marriage and four children, college spun her career into photography. During everyday travels to work locations on congested Interstates, she began to think of ideas for books, although at the time never having written one; she held a vivid dream to accomplish her ideals for writting. The words kept coming and eventually Marilyn couldn't resist the beckoning call to be an author.

Book preview

Pearls Of Prayer

By Marilyn Harley Irick

Copyright Holder and Published by Marilyn Harley Irick at Smashwords

Copyright © 2004 Marilyn Harley Irick

All rights reserved. Available in print, paperback at Amazon Books

ISBN : 1-59457-907-5

Pearls Of Prayer

CONTENTS

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Preface…

The Twelve Pearls

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Introduction…

Seeking Sacred Treasure

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Poem Of The Pearl…

Pearls I’m Ever Sending

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First Pearl…

The Pearl Of Great Price

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Second Pearl…

Purpose, Place, And Time

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Third Pearl…

A Call To Prayer

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Fourth Pearl…

To Be Still

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Fifth Pearl…

Putting Prayers Into Action

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Sixth Pearl...

The Prayers Of Blessings

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Seventh Pearl…

About Meditation

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Eighth Pearl…

Meditation On The Passions

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Ninth Pearl…

Meditation On God’s Law

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Tenth Pearl…

Habit Of Daily Prayers

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Eleventh Pearl…

Personalize & Journal Your Prayers

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Twelfth Pearl…

Meditative Food For Thought

Preface

The Twelve Pearls

The Pearls Of Prayer is a prayer journey biblically guiding the soul into a spiritual communication of God’s beautiful treasure. It is designed for those who are ultimately seeking a deeper level in the mystical and sacred communication with the master of the universe, our triune God. The chapters include a unique sequence of twelve techniques, (the First Pearl through the Twelfth Pearl), which constructively moves the reader through various types of prayer methods.

There are three major expressions in the life of prayer comprised by Christian tradition, they are: vocal, meditation, and contemplative. The vocal prayer allows the church, as a community, to hear and offer to God praise and thanks. The prayer of meditation permits the individual to silently ponder God and draw visually closer to His goodness. Contemplative prayer, most often called ‘the prayer of the heart’, is a prayer for deeper listening within one’s inner being, obtained through silence, and driven with the desire to love God.

This third major expression, contemplative, is encouraged for use as a more meaningful and personable daily prayer. The religious describe this style of prayer more of a divine intimacy between God and man, giving it what some call a monastic flair. It has become the devotional method that monks as well as cloistered nuns and spiritually dedicated lay people have developed for transforming their traditional values of prayer into simple and tranquil techniques called (centering prayer). Even in today’s modern society we are filled with interest in the way the religious monks and nuns live out their lives, as they gravitate with free rein, reverencing God through continual prayers, work and reflections. Centering is the prayer method that most captures the essence of God; seemingly it complements the heart. It is a holy work, a simile that is much like finding the pearl of great price, and is worth all that you do to attain it.

The theme of the pearl is derived from the Gospel’s parable of the Goodly Pearl. This concept places the reader in a position for becoming the worthy gem, a pearl of great price, that can be utilized by prayers that function best for his or her personal needs. Most of these prayer techniques are based on ancient and European Church theologies; some follow the monastic manner of the cloistered monks, while other styles are somewhat the pronounced methods we’ve grown familiar with over the years. There are references to particular Holy Scriptures that, merely by being read with meditative reverence, speak directly to God from the copiousness of one’s heart. Added are the actual purpose, place and times for devotional prayers with spiritual exercises that build faith and instill sound prayer habits. The meaning and purpose of prayer, with its designated place and scheduled times help to apply a holy, pious communication in one’s daily life.

To read a prayer is not enough: it takes practice, fortitude, patience and love. As you seek God and apply the suggested formulas you’ll discover the knowledge that you’ve been call to prayer. This will enhance the search for putting the sacred words of your prayers into action. The Pearls Of Prayer impels you to better understand the nature of God by gently listening and pondering His Laws. It would be a difficult concept if you believed in God’s law and loved Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and yet had no communication with Him through prayer. Prayer is an extension of your affection for the Lord and the various exercises of the twelve pearls direct you to begin utilizing God’s faith-tools for love, which lead the heart and mind towards private, uninhibited spiritual devotion in prayer. These prayer exercises form effective communication for a beautiful treasure on the sacred path to your ‘pearls of prayer.’

Blessings are another form of prayer. Blessings are bestowals of a divine nature! They come in small and large miracles by heavenly intervention, beautiful and fulfilling gifts from God. God blessed man and woman when He created them and His blessings continue. After the creation of man biblical blessings became a privileged right, belonging to the firstborn of the family; the father of a household usually offered his blessings to the eldest child. God wants man to obtain all the spiritual