Monthly Archives: September 2013

Sep8

Giving Thanks- God Really Means it :)

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Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.– Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1 KJV

You know when a mom has to repeat herself the THIRD time, she REALLY means it. I’ll bet God is that way, too. He bothered to say the exact same thing in 3 psalms. I’ll bet He really means that we should give thanks unto Him, for He is good, and that His mercy endures forever.

So if God really means for us to give thanks to Him and to remember His goodness- maybe we should make a daily routine out of it- part of our Christian discipline?

We could:

-Make thanksgiving an honest part of the day (gratitude journals, perhaps).

-Remembering acts of God’s goodness toward ourselves or others

-Appreciating our daily need for His mercy in our lives.

Try this: Incorporate these 3 things for a few days into your disciplines. What happens?

Sep1

Listening, Imaginative Prayer: Lectio Divina

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One of my favorite ways to pray is Lectio Divina (Latin for Divine Reading). It is to me the most fun and hopeful kind of prayer.

Lectio Divina is an ancient Benedictine form of prayer that is practiced by many people. There are a number of different ways to pray with Lectio Divina. Wonderfu! I never run out of new ways to connect with God through it.

Here is the most common way I practice Lectio Divina:

1) I choose a Scripture passage (my favorite is Revelation 4).

2) I read it respectfully, but not as “Bible study” (which I also love- looking up words and similar passages- that is for another day).

3) I read it again, slowly, asking God to speak to me through the passage.

4) Then, I imagine myself into the scene. What would it have been like if I were there? What would I see, feel, do? I ask God to teach me through my imagination.

5) I read the passage again and ask Him what He wants me to do with or learn from the passage.

6) I listen for His answer.

When I imagine myself into Bible scenes, I never fail to learn something. Usually I learn something about hopefulness, trusting God, or just enjoying the acts of God.

Try this: Read Revelation 4: respectfully, then slowly. Next imagine you are in the Throne Room of God. The 4 beasts and the 24 elders are all calling, “Holy, holy, holy…”. God is on His throne surrounded by a rainbow, lightenings and thunderings are coming from His throne. The elders fall on their faces and cast their crowns before the Lord…. How are you feeling? Read the passage again. What are you learning by seeing yourself there? What is God teaching you?