Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton
Week 2: Chapter 1 — Ordinary Mystics
Read Chapter 1 of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools. Primary passages: Luke 18:1–8; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18.
Want the full guide for Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools?
Free Week 1 sample in 5 min · $24.99 for all 12 weeks · 7-day refund
Staton's opening chapter challenges the assumption that deep, sustaining prayer is reserved for monks, mystics, and the especially spiritual — and makes the case that ordinary people in ordinary lives are exactly the ones Jesus had in mind. Let these questions push you toward that invitation.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Staton argues that the monastic tradition of prayer was never meant to be kept inside monastery walls — it was always meant to spill out into everyday life. Does that idea feel liberating or does it raise questions for you about whether "ordinary" life can really be a place of deep prayer?
2.He draws a distinction between prayer as a *practice* (something we do at scheduled times) and prayer as a *posture* (an ongoing orientation of the heart toward God). In your current life, which one are you better at? Which one do you think you actually need more of?
3.Staton describes the paradox embedded in the phrase "ordinary mystics" — the word "mystic" implies someone extraordinary, while "ordinary" is by definition unremarkable. How does the gospel resolve that paradox? What does it say about who has access to God?
You're on Week 2 of 12
Don't lose momentum — get the rest of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools
All 96 questions across 12 weeks, with closing prayers and a downloadable PDF for your group.
One-time purchase · 7-day refund · Covers your whole group