Mark Yaconelli interviewed at Patheos

By Adam McLane on March 13 2010

YS author and NYWC speaker Mark Yaconelli was recently interviewed at Patheos, a site designed to serve as a resource for those looking to learn more about different belief systems, as well as participate in productive, moderated discussions on some of today's most talked about and debated topics.

Here are a couple of my favorite questions/responses:

 

Your latest book concerns the life of prayer.  Tell me about your own experience of prayer — how has it developed and what is your prayer life like today?

I wish I could tell you my prayer life has followed some beautiful evolution — from simple biblical prayers, to beautiful contemplations on the mystery of love.  As a child most of my prayers were basic bargaining — sort of like the story in my book where my son Joseph, when he was four years old, prayed for healing for my wife when she was ill.  Later, when I asked him to pray for me as I prepared to go on a trip, his prayer was, “Please God, let him bring me a toy.” 

I'm forty-three years old and my prayers are still basically like those of four-year-old Joseph; I'm drawn to prayer by my immediate fears and anxieties and desires.  Even when I engage in contemplative forms of prayer, it's often because I'm aware of some background anxiety that needs God's silent love.  I've read many books, written with great sophistication, about how prayer grows and evolves within us.  Maybe that's true.  I guess prayer has taught me to be more accepting of who I am, what I'm feeling, what's broken in me, what's beautiful in me.  My prayer life goes through different seasons, and I try to be accepting of that.  Sometimes I need words, sometimes I need silence, sometimes I just need to sit with others who are praying and pray the prayer that lives between us.  To be truthful I still find great comfort in very simple prayers like, “Help!”

 

What do you believe happens in prayer? 

Prayer is when we enter into our relationship with God.  Prayer is always an invitation to become aware of our real selves, held, connected, empowered — lovedby the real God.  When we become aware of our connection to this “Source” of compassion, we become more able to accept who we are, better able to accept others as they are, and more empowered to resist and transform the principalities and powers that destroy and denigrate life.

Check out the rest of the interview here.

Go here to learn more or purchase Wonder, Fear, and Longing.

Watch a clip from Mark Yaconelli's NYWC 2008 talk.

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