We’re saved by putting our faith in Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross for us, but after we make that decision, it can be tempting to forge ahead in the spiritual life in our own strength. We resolve to read the Bible every morning, to pray regularly, to “exercise” our spiritual muscles, and we either end up big-headed with pride when we succeed, or despondent when we don’t.
I believe that these spiritual disciplines are either powerful or powerless—there is no middle ground. If we approach prayer, study, fasting, or any other discipline like we’re joining God going in, we will become a different person coming out.
Spiritual disciplines are not how we prove our love for God; they’re where God proves His love for us.
To help you live like that’s actually true, I want to introduce you to the practice of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is Latin for “divine reading” and is a way of meditating on a passage of Scripture that Christians have practiced since the 6th century. Instead of approaching Scripture as something to be analyzed and studied, Lectio Divina considers the Bible a place where we can encounter the presence of God.
Once a day for the rest of the week, choose a passage of Scripture and follow these steps.
QUIET - Say a quick prayer inviting God to meet you as you read His Word.
LISTEN - Read the passage. As you read, listen for a word or phrase that God wants to impress on your heart.
PONDER - Read the passage a second time. As you read, ask God how He wants this word or phrase to speak to your life.
PRAY - Read the passage a third time. As you read, ask God what He wants you to do or consider or give up or take on as a result of what He is saying to you through this word or phrase.
If this way of reading the Bible is new to you, here are a few passages I would recommend starting with.
- Philippians 2:1-13
- 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
- Luke 14:15-24
- Galatians 3:1-14
I’m praying that God’s grace will meet you in your spiritual disciplines this week to free you from striving and trying harder to live the life of a disciple of Christ.
Until Next Week,
Karl
