“They devoted themselves to….prayer.” – Acts 2:42
One of the most important elements in any relationship is communication. At Rooted Network our desire is to help people practice engaging with God in conversation, sharing their hearts with Him, and spending time listening to His voice. We believe that prayer is a way to silence the voices around us and seek to align our hearts and desires with God’s will for our lives.
In the same way that the early church dedicated themselves to the teaching of the Word of God, they continued steadfastly in prayer. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the men and women of the early church gathering together to pray for the needs of the church. Prayer was integrated into everything they did and every situation they faced.
My first time participating in Rooted, I was reminded that some people have never experienced prayer or seen God’s faithfulness displayed through an answer to a prayer. During one of our meetings, I was paired with a girl, who, I found out that, had never prayed before. It was a privilege for me to see her step out in faith and ask God for something she carried close to her heart. A few minutes after we finished praying, her phone rang—God had already answered her prayer!
Because of stories like these, we create opportunities for people to participate in and practice prayer throughout every aspect of Rooted. Facilitators weave prayer into every meeting. We take it a step further and invite each group to engage in a Prayer Experience—a two-hour experience outside of the normal small group context, designed specifically for participants to seek God individually and together as a group. Led by the facilitator, the prayer experience aims to create a safe space for people to learn how to pray and invite God into their hearts, to search them, and speak to them. Our prayer is that each participant walks away from this experience, having heard from God in some way, with a recognition of the importance of prayer, and a desire to bring it into every aspect of their lives.
To read an overview of the 7 Rhythms of Rooted, click here. Be sure to follow along as we continue to expound on how these 7 Rhythms, found in Acts 2, are the foundation for Rooted Network.
Jessica Ludwig is the Marketing Manager at Rooted Network. She loves people and her favorite activities include cooking for and hosting friends and family, sharing about the redemptive work of Jesus in her life, and encouraging others on their faith journey. She studied the Bible at Calvary Chapel Bible College before stepping into full-time ministry 13 years ago. She is married to Nathan and lives in Southern California.
