This week Stew Sheckler kicks off our series with our first practice of the Training Ground: Prayer. Stew explores his struggles with praying and the insight he gleaned from Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers) and the Lord's prayer. Below are the prayer tools he mentions at the end of the sermon:

1. Break the Lord’s prayer into sections:

* Our father who is in heaven, holy is your name: Pray giving God all the focus, attention and honor. Thank him for being God and just be in his presence.

* Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven: Focus on the work you are seeing God do in the world and asking him to show you more.

* Give us today, our daily bread and forgive us of our debts: Share with God what you need. Physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs.

* As we forgive our debtors: Ask God to help you be there for others. Talk with him about being open to being the answer to other people’s prayers.

* Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: Ask for protection and to open your heart up to the lies from the enemy you might be believing.

2. Examen: It's a prayerful reflection to the day’s events.

* Ask God to make you aware of the moment you were most grateful for that day. Be still until you think of it. Thank God for it.

* Ask God to make you aware of the moment you were the least grateful for that day. Be still until you think of it. Lay that moment before God.

* Ask God to make you aware of the lesson from each moment he wants you to learn. Be still until you think of it.

* Most importantly thank the father for being present in your life.
* Take some time and record each of these in a journal and then sit down and reflect on them with a trusted friend