Six Streams of Christian Life and Prayer
Study One: A Balanced Vision of Christian Faith and Practice
Based on ‘Streams of Living Water’ by Richard Foster
 

Aim

To identify strong and weaker areas in spiritual lives so we can grow to experience God in new and

exciting ways.

You will need...

A Bible, pen and paper.

Starter

Jesus Christ is said to function in four main ways in the Christian’s life: Saviour, Teacher, Lord and

Friend. Think for a moment of the role you have experienced the most and understand the best.

Now consider the role in which would you like to see yourself grow stronger.

Jesus Christ – Saviour: he forgives sins and sets me free

Teacher: he teaches wisdom and guides me into truth

Lord: he lives at the centre of my life

Friend: he understands and comforts me

Prayer

Let us pray that through these studies God will fill our lives with his love, grace and truth.

Based on the life of Jesus

From Gospels we see that Jesus had a full and complete life with God in six distinct areas:

1. Devotion to God.

2. Virtue in thought, word and action.

3. Empowerment by the Spirit.

4. Compassion toward all people.

5. Proclamation of the good news of the gospel.

6. Harmony between faith and work.

Our aim in the next six studies is to deepen our understanding of these aspects of Jesus life and

incorporate them into our lives daily, so that we may grow more and more Christ like.

Six Traditions of the Church and Christian Life

The six distinct areas we see in Jesus Life can also be seen in the history of the church where

God’s Spirit has moved upon individuals and groups with a particular mission to bring a focus of

renewal to the church. When one area fades another grows:

Contemplative – Psalm 42:1-2 – Spending time with God in prayer and meditation.

Holiness – 1 Timothy 4:7-8 – Having pure thoughts, word and actions, and overcoming temptation.

Charismatic – Ephesians 5:18-19 – Welcoming the Holy Spirit while nurturing and exercising

spiritual gifts.

Social Justice – Amos 5:24 – Helping others less fortunate than ourselves.

Evangelical - John 11:25-26 – Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and reading the Scriptures.

Incarnational – 2 Corinthians 4:7 – Unifying the sacred and secular areas of life while showing

God’s presence to others.

Reflecting on God’s Presence

Sometime during the coming week spend a few minutes writing a brief letter to God, not more than

one page in length. Try to recall the first time you sensed God’s presence and some of the ways

God has revealed himself to you since then.

Close the letter by giving thanks for all that you know of God now, and for all you would like to

know in the future.