As we continue through our 40 Days of Prayer, Mark shares about the monastic practice of the praying the hours OR the daily office. Reflecting on Jesus' words in Luke 8:4-15, we consider how to receive Christ's presence in our lives through a rhythm of prayer.

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Scripture Reading: LUKE 8:4-15

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Discuss your experience of praying the psalms or praying the hours. What did you notice and encounter?
2. When you think about the sermon, what stood out to you- either as encouraging, curious or confusing?
3. Read Jesus’ parable in Luke 8:4-15. How would you summarize the different conditions of the soil?
4. How would you describe the condition of your soul - either by using Jesus’ words or your own?
5. The Daily Office or Praying the Hours is a way of tilling the soil of our souls. How does prayer prepare our soul to encounter Christ’s presence?  
6. Of the three times/themes of the Daily Office (morning, midday, and evening), which is the most challenging for you to enact? How might your life be different if you built the habit of prayer during that time?

Monk Habits for the Rest of Us- Praying the Hours

The Vine Austin