Bible Gateway interviewed Jared Brock (@jaredbrock) about his humorously-serious book, A Year of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life (Tyndale House, 2015). (The first chapter is available for reading (click “Excerpt”) in the Bible Gateway Store.
What prompted you to write this book?
Jared Brock: I was filming a documentary in the red light districts of Amsterdam. Hundreds of drunk men prowled the streets, the windows were filled with women, and there were police on horseback. In the middle of the district is the oldest building in Amsterdam: an 800-year-old church. Every hour, on the hour, church bells ring and men abuse women to the soundtrack of church bells. I stood in the middle of this and said, “God, I need your power in prayer to end this.”
What did you learn during your year of living prayerfully that you hadn’t learned from your previous years of praying?
Jared Brock: One thing I learned is that you become like the people you hang out with. If you have breakfast with Bill Gates every morning, you’re going to get better at managing your money. If you have lunch every day with Steven Spielberg, you’re going to watch more movies. If you spend time with Jesus in prayer every day, it’s going to make you more Christ-like. Prayer not only changes the world, it changes you.
What cultures and various expressions of faith did you encounter and how did they help you in your prayer life?
You had a chance to visit John Wesley’s house. What did you learn from your Wesley visit?
Jared Brock: Wesley lived in a very simple house, and off of his bedroom he built a small walk-in closet. But he didn’t put any clothes in his closet. It was his prayer room. He spent two hours every morning on his knees in that room, and it became known as the “Powerhouse of Methodism.” Wesley always prayed with a Bible open; he was always looking for a word from God on the things he was praying about. I had a chance to pray in Wesley’s closet, using Wesley’s Bible. It was a very cool experience.
The Bible says to pray without ceasing. How did you experience that principle during your year?
Jared Brock: Well, prayer comes easy when you spend time in North Korea or at Westboro Baptist Church! The idea of praying without ceasing really took root in Paris, France, after I discovered the home of Brother Lawrence, the man behind The Practice of the Presence of God. Standing in the same place where a humble monk, 300 years ago, cooked food and washed dishes and spent every waking moment communing with Christ, was powerful. It compelled me to do the same.
What is sortes biblicae and where did you encounter it?
Jared Brock: Sortes biblicae is this old and somewhat odd method of discerning God’s will, basically leaving it up to chance and/or a move of the Spirit. Basically, you sit down, open a Bible to a random page, stick your finger somewhere on that page, and whatever verse comes up is God’s word for you for that day. God can do whatever He wants, but I personally recommend a more systematic approach to working through the Word of God; that is, using some sort of reading plan.
Explain Ignatian meditation, Ignatian contemplation, and examen and where you learned about them?
Jared Brock: The spiritual exercises were created by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Meditation involves slowly reading through a small passage of Scripture, quietly discerning what God has to say to you that day. It might just be one word, or one thought, or one action. Contemplation uses your creativity to imagine yourself immersed in the story of the Bible, picturing yourself walking with the characters and experiencing the events as they did. Examen, done at the end of the day, is a way to look back and see where God was at work in your life.
In A Year of Living Prayerfully you offer a brief list of seven ways to pray. Explain one.
Jared Brock: Let’s go with shalom. Shalom is the most powerful one word prayer in the world. It connotes a sense of peace and stillness and wholeness. Jewish people use it as a hello and as a goodbye. It forms part of many of their most sacred prayers. It’s one of the first things they’ll pray over the children before they’re born; it’s one of the last things they pray before they die. I pray shalom when I watch the news. I often sign my emails with the word shalom. Whenever I feel anxious, I pray shalom over my heart.
As a result of your global travels and observations, what conclusions have you made concerning the worldwide church and how Christians in different lands approach the Bible?
Jared Brock: I definitely think we in the evangelical west don’t revere the Bible like others do. Some denominations won’t even stay seated for the reading of the Word of God. The Bible is an important part of our prayer life. What is more important: one thousand words for us to God, or one word from God to us?
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Jared Brock: First off, I hope they laugh. I wanted to bring the joy of the Lord into a prayer book—which are normally quite dull and serious. Prayer is about relationship, and I hope readers walk away with a sense that prayer isn’t about religion or rituals; it’s about a constant communion with Christ. As we spend time with Jesus in prayer, God works in us, through us, and around us. Prayer changes everything.
How can websites and mobile apps like Bible Gateway help people achieve a more effective prayer life?
Jared Brock: I use Bible Gateway all the time, specifically for seeing other translations, for research, and for understanding the context of the passage. Passages of Scripture come alive to me as I read history and commentary; what others throughout history have said and learned about that particular verse. The Word really is living and active.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Jared Brock: All my author royalties are donated to charity.
He says, “If I had to put myself into a denominational box, I’d probably have to call myself a non-denominational Christ-following ecumenical who tries to practice Quaker simplicity and silence, Catholic activism, Pentecostal passion, Evangelical outreach, Mennonite peacemaking and hospitality, Orthodox belief, Southern Baptist potluckness, Brethren community, and Ignatian discipline.”