Category: Spiritual Practices

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Psalm 139:23-24 –  ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! ²⁴ And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!

How do we practice incarnational reality when we struggle with sin? Or when we realize we have made poor choices, or when we know we have withheld grace or forgiveness? I think sometimes our shame over our wrongdoing or sin keeps us distant from God. He’s right there – and the way to affirm that reality is to bring to him all that we need to confess. Remember Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 3 – “that you may be rooted and grounded in love, [and that you] may… know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God!”  (Eph. 3:17, 19).

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).

 Psalm 103:1-5 – Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, ³ who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, ⁵ who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

For as many of you were who were baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. (Gal 3:27 ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20 ESV)

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27 ESV)

Step One – Read these passages 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 these verses, 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 – Incarnational Reality

In Him we become fully human. In Him, we begin to do His works. This involves incarnation, a descent of the Spirit into our deepest beings and lives. In Him, the will, the intellect, imagination, feeling and sensory being are hallowed and enlivened. We begin to fully live, to participate in the eternal, the immutable, the indestructible.
Leanne Payne, The Healing Presence, 11.

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 express your gratitude that we bear the Spirit of Christ in us. Christ is with us, and He is within us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend reading Leanne Payne here.

Almighty, eternal God! forgive us our sin and lead us to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ulrich Zwingli

Almighty, eternal God! Forgive us our sin and lead us to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Ulrich Zwingli

Begin 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 in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble 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 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)

Receive His assurance of pardon –  ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ . (Eph 1:7-9 ESV)

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His forgiveness 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).

Who is like a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers From the days of old.  Micah 7:18-20

The Lord’s Prayer – The Incarnation

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by 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, Father – You inhabit the whole of heaven, and Your name is forever made holy. In this season of Christmastide, we long for Your kingdom to come now in all its fullness. Rule us by Your word and Your Spirit that we might delight in Your will; which came about through the obedience of Your Son. “It was He who gave His life as a ransom for many.” (Mat 20:28). While we celebrate His birth in this season – we know that the Cross awaits him. He died that we might live. And that is food enough. We are eternally grateful that Christ died for our sins. Make us eager then to forgive others their sins against us. Protect us Lord, from temptation and from evil – because it is your kingdom and your power and your glory forever. Amen.