Rev. David Chotka has been a regular conference speaker since he was ordained as a pastor in 1983. Chotka has three earned degrees, including a Th.M. from Regent College, Vancouver, B.C., in which he examined the two (and sometimes three) S/spirit contrast in the book of Ephesians. He has preached across Canada and has recently led the prayer ministry sessions at the General Assembly of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (July 2002). As part of that task, he contributed to and oversaw the production of the six-week prayer course, "Lord, Teach Us to Pray". He is currently serving as the Senior Pastor of Bramalea Alliance church in Brampton, Ontario.

Chotka was born in St. Catharines, Ont., and served as a National Director of the United Church Renewal Fellowship for five years, during which time he contributed to and oversaw the production of several resources and articles on the themes of healing, deliverance, renewal and prayer. Married to Elizabeth, David has two children and lives in Brampton, part of the Greater Toronto Area.

Rev. Chotka will address the prayer life of Jesus and open up several prayer ministry strategies that can be employed in our local churches from the teaching of our Lord. In particular he will focus on the six major themes of the Lord's prayer and how those themes are interwoven throughout the teaching of Christ. This will have a direct impact on how our prayer lives should be shaped, both individually and corporately.

He will speak on "Kingdom versus kingdom: The Lord and His Prayer" In Calgary Alberta, Spring 2004.

The books to be read in preparation for this module are listed here.

"Kingdom versus kingdom: The Lord and His Prayer"

The Lord's prayer is a much overlooked resource. In fact it is the Magna Carta of the prayer life of our Lord himself. The model that it contains is in fact the very method commanded by our Lord himself. Its themes--the Father, heaven and earth, the kingdom, the will of God, reciprocal forgiveness--all these and more are highways to the central message of the entire New Testament. It contains an explicit and implicit recognition that Christ came to defeat the forces of darkness in our lives and in the world beyond. To pray it is to commit to service in the Lord's army in the greatest event in the history of the world--the emanicipation of all people and indeed the entire creation from bondage to decay and the forces of darkness. It is to partner with God in the redemptionn process as we join our coming King in advancing God's rule here by pushing back the forces of the enemy. This is no prayer to pray if one wishes the remain the same. But it is the principle prayer to pray if one wishes to participate in seeing the action of the Spirit move in one's life and through the church fellowship.