Category: Spiritual Practices

The Lord’s Prayer – Preparing for Lent

Our Father, who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name. 
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done. 
On earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day, our daily bread, 
And forgive us our sins, 
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.  
And lead us not into temptation. 
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, 
And the glory, forever. Amen. 

Dear Holy Father, we pray that our hearts would be fully ready to walk this path from the desert to the Resurrection. Our one desire Lord is that your kingdom would come in full, that we would take our place there as we reclaim our baptisms. Your kingdom and Your will are our heart’s desire. Father, as we remember the waters of our baptisms, would You give us Your bread, Your life, Your Resurrection power that is the only true sustenance we need. Teach us Lord, how to ask and how to receive Your forgiveness and to freely forgive those who have hurt or wounded or betrayed us. Test us not, O Lord, but deliver us from evil. To You alone, Father, Son and Spirit is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Living Out Our Baptisms – Confessional Prayer

[C.S.] Lewis stressed the act of confession and the reception of pardon as a most important and objective act, and was on his guard against those “states of feeling” that would make of this most important act a merely subjective thing. It seemed to him that a “programme of permanent emotions,” about ourselves could turn even the act of our confession into a mere state of “feeling” about ourselves. 

Leanne Payne, “Real Presence”

Start by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that He through His baptism began the process of fully identifying with us so that He could offer his life for ours.  Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

 Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Are there ways you have failed to live out your baptism? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?

Then, simply confess specifically what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive the truth of this passage: “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love”. If you have confessed a stronghold of fear or complacency receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his grace and mercy ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Lectio Divina – Living Out Our Baptisms

A reminder about prayer and the Word of God: “All of a sudden we just know: prayer is a conversation in which God’s Word has the initiative and we, for the moment, can be nothing more than listeners. The essential thing is for us to hear God’s Word and discover how to respond to Him.” Hans von Balthasar

Romans 6:3-8 (ESV) 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

 Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, how).

Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

When we begin to understand that baptism does something to us now, and that that something is nothing short of incorporation into the divine life of God, then we can begin to experience the Trinity, not as some kind of mathematical puzzle – or a scientific experiment using water, ice, and steam showing that each of them is the same chemical but simply in a different form. Rather, we will know the doctrine of the Trinity as a lived reality. By our baptism we are invited not merely to understand, but to experience the Trinity.  Brother James Koester

The Lord’s Prayer and The Far Country

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

 Abba, we are thankful that we have a Father who is holy, who sits on the throne of heaven, and who has done the unthinkable to call us from the far country. You sent Your Son – to be an outcast, that we would be drawn in; to be despised, that we would be cherished; to be spat on, that we would be cleansed in the waters of His baptism. We are eternally grateful for this bread of life that You have given us – the body and blood of Your Son. Lord, You have forgiven all our sins, and now we pray that we would be like You, and never withhold grace or mercy from those who have sinned against us. As we turn our faces toward our heavenly home, we pray that You would keep us from temptation and evil so that we can stand with all those who have gone before us, proclaiming that Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Magi – Confessional Prayer

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9.

When I reflect on this story of the wise men, I call to mind the ways I have neglected to come to worship prepared to lay it all down – my sin, my defenses, my pride and my selfishness. So often, I come to Christ with my own needs, my own preoccupations. Do you resonate with that at all? Use this confessional prayer to bring those self-centered distractions or sins or attitudes.

Start by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).  

Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?

Then, simply confess specifically what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive the truth of this passage: “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love”. If you have confessed a stronghold of fear or complacency receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his grace and mercy ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.     Isaiah 1:18

The Magi – Lectio Divina & Quote

Mat. 2:1-11 – Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

This is a great opportunity to read this as a story (which it is of course!) Put yourself there, imagine being with the Magi on their journey; their meeting with Herod and then their final arrival at the stable. What do you think or feel about Herod’s trickery? (This is not the same Herod who in the time of Christ beheaded John the Baptist and sent Christ to be crucified, but of the same line. The first Herod reigned over all of Judea, but the Herod of Christ’s time only ruled over Galilee).

The Magi quote Micah 5:2 as they describe to Herod why they’ve come to Judea. Yet they were not Jews. They were Gentiles, pagans who had a deep hunger for a Messiah. They traveled far, and the first thing they do in arriving in Bethlehem – was to bow down in worship.

“They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Why is that? What did they find of meaning to them? Stay a moment in that joy – give thanks for the Epiphany that opened your eyes to see Christ, your Savior – and let that joy wash over you once again.

Read the rest of the story in Matthew 2. The Magi were warned in a dream not to go back the way they came, and then Joseph was also warned to leave as soon as possible. Are we that attentive to listening to God?

There are so many ways God revealed Himself in this story! a Star, a king, a Scripture, a Babe, even a dream!

Lectio Quote

Stars cross the sky, wise men journey from pagan lands, earth receives its savior in a cave. Let there be no one without a gift to offer, no one without gratitude as we celebrate the salvation of the world, the birthday of the human race, Now it is no longer, “dust you are and to dust you shall return,” but “you are joined to heaven and into heaven shall you be taken up.     Basil the Great (AD 330-379)

You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and seek The Spirit’s help to discern how this passage might bring new understanding to how God reveals Himself to us.

The Lord’s Prayer in Epiphany: The Baptism of Christ

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven, we hallow Your name. On this day we celebrate that Christ, Your son, began that identification with us that would take him to the Cross. We pray for the completion of Your kingdom, that all that needs to happen here for Your will to be done would be accomplished in your time. Each day, Lord, give us spiritual nourishment to strengthen us for the days to come. Forgive us for all the ways we have sinned against You and others and give us immeasurable grace to forgive others. Keep us, Father from all that would draw us away from our baptism, all evil and temptation, that we may, with all the company of saints, worship You and give You all the glory and honor due Your name.

Epiphany Two – Confessional Prayer

Repentance is thus the return of our love, of our life, to God, and this return is possible in Christ because He reveals to us true Life and makes us aware of our exile and condemnation. To believe in Christ is to repent – to change radically the very “mind” of our life, to see it as sin and death. And to believe in Him, is to accept the joyful reconciliation that in Him forgiveness and reconciliation have been given. In baptism both repentance and forgiveness find their fulfillment. In baptism man wants to die as a sinful man and be given that death and in baptism man wants the newness of life as forgiveness, and he is given it. A. Schmemann

 As we contemplate the power of Christ’s identification with us in His baptism, may the Spirit show us any way that we have not honored His baptism; any way that our reluctance to let go of sin has had a hold on us.

Start by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that He through His baptism began the process of fully identifying with us so that He could offer his life for ours.  Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

 Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?

Then, simply confess specifically what the Holy Spirit is showing you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive the truth of this passage: “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love”. If you have confessed a stronghold of fear or complacency receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in his grace and mercy ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions. And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared!”   

               Psalm 32 – The Passion Translation

Epiphany- Baptism of Christ – Lectio

Mat 3:13-17 – 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, and how).

Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.

 Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

In his baptism in the Jordan and in His subsequent ministry, the Son of God descended into the human condition to the very depths so that He might fill all things with Himself. And after his descent, He ascended into the heavens, taking us with Him into the presence of God and giving us gifts for the sake of service. 
Thomas Hopko, Winter Pascha

You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly and seek the Spirit’s help to discern how this passage might bring new revelation to your own baptism.

Christmastide Two – The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

Father, you have given us the honor of knowing You as Abba, dear Father, and for that we are eternally grateful. We bless Your holy name because at the sound of Your name, the earth rejoices, and the angels bow down. Dear Father, You have given us Your Son – to fulfill Your Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. You have given Him to us through His obedience on the Cross, and now through Your Spirit, He dwells in our hearts by faith. Where would we be, Lord, without the reality of Your indwelling grace? Give us what we need, that we might have courage to forgive others as You have forgiven us. Give us power, Lord, to rest and abide in You that we would be delivered from temptation and evil. And may we without ceasing, spend the rest of eternity praising You for Your kingdom, Your power, and Your glory. Amen.