A templative prayer,
Meditative prayer,
Is taking God's word and reading it,
Not for information,
But reading it in such a way that our heart is open so that I can hear,
Spirit,
What are you speaking to me here in this place and in this time in my life?
Contemplative or meditative reading and prayer.
One of the forms of this prayer is called Lectio Divina.
You start off by just simply reading the passage slowly and then you meditate on it.
You reflect on what it's saying to me personally.
What is it saying to me?
And then you pray,
What is my action or response to this passage?
And then fourthly,
It's in silent love or thankfulness towards God.
Just sit there and just be thankful and express your love to God in that moment.
Again,
It's a relationship.
I want each of you to just kind of get comfortable where you're sitting.
If you'd like to,
You can close your eyes.
We're going to go through these four movements.
I'll give some instructions before the scripture.
Again,
This is not a fact-finding exercise.
It's a response to the text.
It's a response to God's word.
It's a dance with scripture.
It's seeing God and responding to what God is saying to us.
So first we're going to start off just by preparing our minds and our bodies.
Is everyone comfortable where you're sitting?
Feet flat on the floor,
Shoulders kind of back.
Just take a deep breath here.
Just get comfortable.
Before we go any further,
I'm going to ask God to bless us during these moments.
God's word,
God's speaking to us is always bringing life,
Bringing health and wholeness.
Anything else that comes in would be condemning,
Bringing shame,
Inferiority.
We just want to say no to anything that would distract from hearing God's words of life this morning.
Jesus,
I just thank you for being with us.
We acknowledge that you have given us a new heart.
You traded the heart of stone for a heart of flesh.
And we say thank you.
We just want to open up our hearts to you right now.
We want to listen to what you have to say to each of us individually.
Thank you that each of us as your children,
You are speaking to us.
And we just want to have ears to hear what you have to say.
Thank you,
Spirit,
For guiding us into all truth.
And we just surrender to you during this time.
Surround us with the light of the gospel,
Our minds,
Our bodies,
And our hearts during these moments.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
So take a couple deep breaths.
Whatever is comfortable for you.
I'd like you to imagine that God is looking at you with kindness as you prepare to encounter Scripture.
God is looking at me with kindness as I prepare to receive His words this morning.
Listen as I read Psalm 71 verses 1 through 3.
I'd like you to just notice any words or phrases that catch your attention.
In you,
Lord,
I have taken refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness,
Rescue me and deliver me.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
Take a few moments to reflect on those words,
What words or phrases caught your attention.
Now,
I will read the passage again.
If a word or a phrase stood out at you,
I encourage you to meditate on that and to focus on it.
How does it speak to your specific circumstances today?
In you,
Lord,
I have taken refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness,
Rescue me and deliver me.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
What do you think it means when the psalmist says,
Turn your ear to me?
Can you identify with never be put to shame?
Why or why not?
What does this scripture passage say to you today?
How is your life different today compared to the author's life?
How might your life be similar?
As I read the scripture a third time,
Ask what action God may be inviting you toward.
In you,
Lord,
I have taken refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness,
Rescue me and deliver me.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
Take some time to pray.
Ask God to lead you in using this passage of scripture in your life.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
Now,
Sit in silence and express love towards God.
Focus on your breath if thoughts invade your mind.
Greet them and then send them on their way as you return to the attention on your breath.
May this time of divine reading open up our hearts to the movements of God in our lives.
May this time of divine reading open up our hearts to the movements of God in our lives.
May this time of divine reading open up our hearts to the movements of God in our lives.
May this time of divine reading open up our hearts to the movements of God in our lives.
Jesus,
We thank you for meeting with us this morning.
I thank you that you meet with us in our hearts.
I bless my brothers and sisters with a continued desire to know you,
To walk with you,
To listen to you in that secret place of our hearts.
Help us to give ourselves a little bit of space.
Just remind us that you just invite us to just sit with you.
Thank you for sitting with us.
Pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Let's read the scripture together.
Would you all join me?
Psalm 71 verses 1 through 3.
In you,
Lord,
I have taken refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness,
Rescue me and deliver me.
Turn your ears to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
For you are my rock and my fortress.
In the mornings,
When I practice this listening,
This interaction with scripture,
Sometimes I'll nod off and I'll go to sleep and it's okay.
It's all right because God is a good father and I wouldn't trade those moments that I've been holding my kid and they fell asleep in my lap.
What a beautiful moment.
Never trade those moments for anything.
It's okay.
There's no right way to sit with God and to listen.
He just invites us to sit with him and be with him.
What that transform us changes.
Theodosia and I both believe that each of us have that seed of God's love in our lives and everything we do with our gatherings of one desire is an opportunity for us to connect and to deepen that connection and to allow that voice of God's love to speak forth in us and through us and contemplation is one big way in my life that I've experienced peace,
Grace and love and hope.
I've been put back together in those moments when I was falling apart.
God bless each of you.
Have a good week of listening.
