Prayer occurs when God's people, individually or collectively, enter into God's presence. Simple as that sounds, it is rarely simple for authentic prayer to occur in the context of Christian worship. Surrounded by distracting sights and sounds from without, and distracting thoughts and emotions from within, we enter too infrequently into the genuine spirit of prayer in corporate worship. The worship leader, therefore, has a set task. It is to usher us as close as possible to the vortex of genuine prayer, where we may be drawn in and overcome by the sense of God's being. Words must be used--and silence as well--to bait, cajole, and tease the mind into communion with the Divine Spirit. The prayers in this book are offered as an attempt to make prayer a greater reality for Christian congregations. The reader will find in these pages calls to worship, opening prayers, affirmations of faith, confessions, offeratory prayers, pastoral prayers, and benedictions. Written with the poetic language and spiritual insight that are John Killinger's trademarks, Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise will be an essential resource for all those who plan and lead worship.
