Contributed by Ken Hagler
What do you say to God?
Really, how many of us have ever had a class on prayer other than clergy? In his new book, “Prayer Simply Breathe,” Ken Hagler, a local pastor and spiritual director helps everyone, even clergy, learn a thing or two about prayer.
“I might wish I could give you a list of prayers God has answered in miraculous ways but I can’t,” writes the author. “On one side, I can look at the prayer of a kid that God seemed to answer, and on the other side, I can look at the prayers for the healing of my late wife and it seems God didn’t answer.”
But is that what prayer really is? Just getting what we want?
“No. Prayer is the act of turning our mind, our emotions, our body and our spirit to God,” Ken notes. In fact, “Prayer Simply Breathe” encourages people to pray simply, to pray as they breathe following the “other prayer” Jesus taught in Luke 18:9-14, called “The Jesus Prayer” or the prayer of the tax collector. Prayer isn’t about getting “stuff.” It is about knowing God.
Ken’s book contains 52 prayers and reflections to guide the reader in their prayers. He includes some of the history of the practice and his own experiences. Then, Ken turns his attention to helping the reader to listen to God and create their own breath prayers.
Fellow pastor and former Pastor of Chugiak United Methodist Church, Carlo Rapanut offered these thoughts, “That this book is coming out during the middle of a global pandemic that attacks the respiratory system is not a coincidence but a welcome blessing. May this book be a reminder to breathe, literally and spiritually.”
Ken is pastor at Anchor Park United Methodist Church and writes regularly on his blog at www.kenhagler.com and weekly publishes new breath prayers on Instagram under his online persona of “Jedi Pastor Ken” (or @jedipastorken). You can find “Prayer Simply Breathe: 52 Breath Prayer Devotions and How to Create Your Own Prayers” on Amazon in paperback, hardback, and Kindle.
