Tag: prayer

Simply Still Series: Is Keeping the Sabbath Still for Real?

I used to think that the idea of “keeping the Sabbath” was totally old fashioned and didn’t relate to me in any way whatsoever. I was so wrong!  While Sabbath keeping is deeply rooted in Jewish law and tradition, it couldn’t be more relevant to modern Christian living and being still. It is still very much for real!

Before I delve into various aspects of the Sabbath, today and over the next few weeks, let’s take a moment to establish the concept of a Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation.  The Creation account in Genesis declares:

On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Genesis 2:2

In this way, one way to look at the Sabbath is as a physical time of rest.  However, this doesn’t necessarily mean napping, binge watching Yellowstone (although I’m totally guilty of that!), and taking relaxing baths.  It is not a rest as in merely abstaining from activity. Rather it is an intentional action which results in a much deeper, soulful, fulfilling time of replenishment.  This type of rest is known as menuha in Hebrew. Rabbi Heschel explains:

Menuha, which we usually render with ‘rest’ means much more than labor and exertion, more than freedom from toil, strain or activity of any kind.  Menuha here [in Genesis 2:2] is not a negative concept but something real and intrinsically positive.  This must have been the views of the ancient rabbis if they believed that it took a special act of creation to bring it into being, that the universe would be incomplete without it.  What was created on the seventh day? Tranquility, serenity, peace and repose.

Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man

Since the creation story is indeed seven days long, and not six, that necessarily stipulates that rest is also part of what was intended to be created.  Rabbi Heschel goes on:

We would surely expect the Bible to tell us that on the sixth day God finished His work.  Obviously, the ancient rabbis concluded, there was an act of creation on the seventh day.  Just as heaven and earth were created in six days, menuha was created on the Sabbath.  After six days of creation, what did the universe still lack? Menuha. Came the Sabbath, came menuha, and the universe was complete.

Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man

We’ve established that rest was intentional. However, it was also so important that God Himself partook in it, regardless of His own strength or actual necessity for such a pause.  I doubt God actually needed to rest, as we often think of the word, but He did it anyway. He did it within the confines of what was intended for the created order. How can such a realization change the way we think of rest?  Would anyone dare judge the Lord’s need for rest as weakness?  Perhaps, there is wisdom in the stillness. Perhaps there is something more to this Sabbath rest as implied by the Rabbi.

The act of resting is also intended for us.  With that truth in mind, we can also know that God wouldn’t intend rest for us if it wasn’t possible. 

So why don’t we rest when we know we ought to? While there are likely many reasons, some of which we’ve explored together in the Be Still Series, I think much of our apprehension to rest comes from a lack of trust in Him.

While we can say we trust the Lord, its an entirely different ballgame to actually align our lives in such a way which demonstrates our proclaimed trust.  It is this very concept which we will explore next week, followed by additional thoughts on how we can incorporate a Sabbath mindset into our everyday lives. 

Pray:

Father God, thank you for giving us an example of not only how we should live our lives through your Son and written Word, but also how we should rest. I admit that sometimes I worry about not being able to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, so I forego resting as I ought. I need to trust you more, knowing that if you desire me to rest, I will be able to accomplish everything you desire me to accomplish while still being able to press pause and press into you. Help me trust you more.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

Does Praying Matter?

Did you ever wonder if praying actually makes a difference?  What about when it “doesn’t work”?  Or what about if God already knows what will happen?  Should we still bother? Our reactions to these questions will really depend on what and how we think about prayer.  

If we think that prayer is a mechanism by which we negotiate some sort of favorable outcome with our God, we would be sorely mistaken and misguided. Such a transactional mentality is what will keep us from really embracing prayer for what it is: an opportunity to communicate and be in a personal relationship with the one true God.  

Kings on this side of eternity are hard to pin down.  Someone interested in doing so typically has to seek an audience.  By contrast, our heavenly King is always accessible and lovingly welcomes us into His presence.  Like being still, not only is praying something we should do, but it is also a biblical imperative:

Pray without ceasing. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

1 Peter 5:7 

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.   

Luke 18:1

Just google “pray without ceasing” and see how many other references come up in scripture! 

But doesn’t God already know everything about me?  Of course…but He wants you to go to Him and tell Him what’s on your mind.  Your struggles. Your triumphs.  All of it! 

But doesn’t God already know what will happen?  Yup.  He also wants His children to take a posture of humility and come to Him when they need help with something.  Sometimes it’s more about the submission than it is about the prayer itself.  

But does He hear me even when it doesn’t feel like it or when He is so busy with everyone else’s prayers?  You betchya!  Our omniscient God hears every prayer we lay before His throne.  Sometimes it’s more about cultivating patience in us than it is about answering the prayer itself.  

Friends, time spent in the presence of the Lord is NEVER wasted.  He gives us exactly what we need. He undoubtedly provides what we would also ask for if we already knew what he knows.  He loves us far too much to bend to our every inclination.  Do you give your children everything they ask for at the time they ask for it? 

Communicating with God is NEVER a waste of time, and we can communicate with Him for so many other reasons than when we need something from Him.  When we pray…

  • If we experience a perspective shift, that is time well spent.
  • If we discern a bit more of what God would have us do with our lives, that is time well spent. 
  • If we surrender more today than we did yesterday, that is time well spent. 
  • If we ask for or receive forgiveness, that is time well spent. 
  • If we give thanks for anything, no matter how trivial, that is time well spent.
  • If we cast our fears upon the Lord, that is time well spent.  
  • If we humble ourselves in response to God’s almighty power, that is time well spent.  
  • If we recognize something within us that needs refining, that is time well spent. 
  • If we shout out to the Lord in frustration and anger, that is time well spent. 
  • If we get to know Him, even slightly more intimately, that is time well spent.  
  • If a temptation was kept at bay for just one more day, that is time well spent.
  • If someone’s life is changed, that is time well spent.
  • If someone’s eternity is redirected, that is time well spent. 
  • If we simply rest in the presence of our God, that is time well spent, indeed.

Praying always matters and is never a waste of time!

Pray:

Father God,  THANK YOU for the gift of prayer and for giving me a way to communicate with you at any time.  I’m ashamed to admit that I often take unfettered access to you for granted.  Please allow your spirit to work within me so that YOU are the first turn I take when I’m elated or anxious, sorrowed or blessed.  I want to start and end my days in communication with you and incorporate prayer into all aspects of my life.  Allow prayer to become a part of my day’s rhythm.  

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen. 

Be Still Series: Is Keeping the Sabbath Still for Real?

I used to think that the idea of “keeping the Sabbath” was totally old fashioned and didn’t relate to me in any way whatsoever. I was so wrong!  While Sabbath keeping is deeply rooted in Jewish law and tradition, it couldn’t be more relevant to modern Christian living and being still. It is still very much for real!

Before I delve into various aspects of the Sabbath, today and over the next few weeks, let’s take a moment to establish the concept of a Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation.  The Creation account in Genesis declares:

On the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Genesis 2:2

In this way, one way to look at the Sabbath is as a physical time of rest.  However, this doesn’t necessarily mean napping, binge watching Yellowstone (although I’m totally guilty of that!), and taking relaxing baths.  It is not a rest as in merely abstaining from activity. Rather it is an intentional action which results in a much deeper, soulful, fulfilling time of replenishment.  This type of rest is known as menuha in Hebrew. Rabbi Heschel explains:

Menuha, which we usually render with ‘rest’ means much more than labor and exertion, more than freedom from toil, strain or activity of any kind.  Menuha here [in Genesis 2:2] is not a negative concept but something real and intrinsically positive.  This must have been the views of the ancient rabbis if they believed that it took a special act of creation to bring it into being, that the universe would be incomplete without it.  What was created on the seventh day? Tranquility, serenity, peace and repose.

Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man

Since the creation story is indeed seven days long, and not six, that necessarily stipulates that rest is also part of what was intended to be created.  Rabbi Heschel goes on:

We would surely expect the Bible to tell us that on the sixth day God finished His work.  Obviously, the ancient rabbis concluded, there was an act of creation on the seventh day.  Just as heaven and earth were created in six days, menuha was created on the Sabbath.  After six days of creation, what did the universe still lack? Menuha. Came the Sabbath, came menuha, and the universe was complete.

Rabbi Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man

We’ve established that rest was intentional. However, it was also so important that God Himself partook in it, regardless of His own strength or actual necessity for such a pause.  I doubt God actually needed to rest, as we often think of the word, but He did it anyway. He did it within the confines of what was intended for the created order. How can such a realization change the way we think of rest?  Would anyone dare judge the Lord’s need for rest as weakness?  Perhaps, there is wisdom in the stillness. Perhaps there is something more to this Sabbath rest as implied by the Rabbi.

The act of resting is also intended for us.  With that truth in mind, we can also know that God wouldn’t intend rest for us if it wasn’t possible. 

So why don’t we rest when we know we ought to? While there are likely many reasons, some of which we’ve explored together in the Be Still Series, I think much of our apprehension to rest comes from a lack of trust in Him.

While we can say we trust the Lord, its an entirely different ballgame to actually align our lives in such a way which demonstrates our proclaimed trust.  It is this very concept which we will explore next week, followed by additional thoughts on how we can incorporate a Sabbath mindset into our everyday lives. 

Pray:

Father God, thank you for giving us an example of not only how we should live our lives through your Son and written Word, but also how we should rest. I admit that sometimes I worry about not being able to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, so I forego resting as I ought. I need to trust you more, knowing that if you desire me to rest, I will be able to accomplish everything you desire me to accomplish while still being able to press pause and press into you. Help me trust you more.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

8 Useful Tips for Meditating Biblically (Part 3 of 3)

Before we get started with some really simple, practical tips to encourage your biblical meditation practices, let’s recap what we have covered so far.

Part 1, available here, offered a real general overview of what we mean by the term biblical meditation: it’s not quite prayer and it’s not quite bible study: its a bridge between the two.

Last week, Part 2, available here, provided one example of what a full biblical meditation practice might look like. It was broken out into 6 easy-to-follow steps and was an adaptation of a much more complex method which has been around since the 6th century!

This week I am going to share tips I have found beneficial in my own prayer life and in studying/meditating scripture. Remember, I’m a working mama of three kiddos, ages 8-14, and a doctoral student so please know I wouldn’t suggest anything that I didn’t find viable enough to work into my own hectic schedule!

In no particular order, here’s my list!

Tip 1

Make an appointment with yourself to meditate at some set interval that seems manageable in your current season of life. This might be weekly? Maybe more? Maybe less? If you really feel too strapped & overwhelmed, try going to the Lord in prayer and asking where you might find some margin in your life to incorporate regular meditation practices. He’ll create the space for you!

Tip 2

Build meditation into what you are already doing. For example, if you read a devotion each morning or evening anyway, try blocking off a good hour on your calendar at whatever interval you chose for tip 1 (weekly, biweekly, etc.). In doing this, you are merely periodically extending the time you were already spending in His presence to begin with!

Tip 3

Whether or not you have regular time with God already part of your routine, you can certainly try pairing meditation was an activity you already enjoy. Like to walk? Enjoy audio versions of scripture while you get in that workout or enjoy nature. Love sipping on a hot cup of coffee? Incorporate your meditation into the time you spend with your favorite mug in your favorite spot of the house. You get the idea! Find an activity you enjoy and that you do often (or would like to do frequently) and do in conjunction with meditation. The only rule is that the activity should not distract from your time with the Lord!

Tip 4

Find a brother or sister in Christ who can hold you accountable. They do not need to meditate at the same time as you. They just need to know what your intent is so they can help encourage you and follow up. Best case scenario: your accountability partner will also be interested in this practice and you can hold one another accountable!

Tip 5

Choose a bible translation that you can easily understand, but be mindful that not all translations are created equally. Some versions are truer to the actual inspired Word of God than others. Personally, I alternate between the New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV). Both are in plain language and are widely used in bible-teaching churches. Alternatively, if some verses still stump you or you are new to reading the Bible, The Message by Eugene Peterson might be a great option for you: it reads just like a story!

Tip 6

Download a bible app such a You Version or access one such as Bible Gateway in your web browser. This will allow you to effortlessly switch between translations when needed for extra insight. No need to keep multiple translations around the house unless you want to!

Tip 7

Since it can still be helpful having a hard copy of the Bible around, consider one with room in the margins to write and/or one with footnotes. The Life Application Bible (available in different translations) has some very helpful footnotes which can help you glean more from the text. The best way to pick one out, in my opinion, is to devote some time flipping through the pages of different versions at your local bookstore. Are you comfortable with the font size? Weight? Do the extra content offerings hold any utility for you? Do you prefer having some pictures and photos? Having a Bible in a version and translation that you are comfortable reading will surely enhance your meditation practice.

Tip 8

After you meditate several times, you may find yourself particularly gravitating to a specific part of the practice. Push into that inclination and spend some time there. This will make the practice that much more enjoyable as you establish a habit since you are spending time doing an activity you naturally enjoy!

There you have it! Eight ideas which can be acted on as soon as today! I’m sure you may have some thoughts of your own how to better incorporate biblical meditation into your everyday lives.

Now, although these tips were created with biblical meditation in mind, feel free to generalize them to any activity at all which will bring you into the Lord’s presence more regularly. Desire more prayer time? Want time for listening to devotions…or a podcast…hint hint ;)? Yearn for more time in scripture? Any of the above tips can be applied to each of these scenarios as well!

I firmly believe that each person is EXACTLY where they are meant to be in their walk with the Lord. Wherever that is for you, try using these suggestions to get one step closer…with the help of the Holy Spirit of course!

Pray:

Farther God, thank you for allowing me to live in such a time when your Word is so incredibly accessible! I know I have no excuse for not spending time with you each week or, better yet, each day. Your Word is there…on bookshelves…in apps…on the internet! I can waste so much time doing things that don’t really matter of such little consequence. Stir a hunger and thirst in my heart so that I seek to replace those times of empty solace with you and you alone. You are so worthy of my praise and adoration! Thank you for not giving up on me and still pursuing me. I am humbled, grateful, and truly yearn to spend time more wisely in your presence.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

How to Meditate Biblically in 6 Simple Steps (Part 2 of 3)

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Last week, a general overview of biblical meditation was provided. This week, we are going to go a little deeper and explore a simplified version of a specific method of meditation. Next week I’ll provide some practical tips on how you can make margin for everything you’ve learned over the last two weeks.

The method I’m sharing with you actually sounds more complex than it is, but only because the name is in Latin. It essentially means “Divine Reading”, and it has been around since the 6th century!

There are 6 basic parts to this version of the Lectio Divina: Silence, Read, Meditate, Prayer, Contemplation and Live it Out. There….not so scary, right?!

I really appreciate how the C.S. Lewis Institute‘s modified form of Lectio Divina can help us absorb the important teachings of a particular text. Here are the core components as the C.S. Lewis Institute describes them:

Step 1: Silence

Take time to be silent: prepare to communicate with God as He expresses Himself to you in the passage of Scripture you have chosen. After a period of quiet, ask God’s help as you enter this session of meditative prayer.

Step 2: Read

Read a short passage of Scripture aloud several times slowly. Allow its words and meanings to sink into your soul.

Step 3: Meditate

Meditation is like chewing. It is slow and thorough. (We learned this last week.) Write notes about what you see in this passage. Make connections between the various sections. Ask yourself, “What do these words from God say?” “What do they mean?” Place who you are and what you do next to this passage and ask God to examine you. Continue to write your findings.

Step 4: Prayer

Pray using the passage as an outline for your prayer. Read the passage phrase-by-phrase, responding to God after each phrase or verse.

Step 5: Contemplation

Wait in stillness once more. Ask that God bring to your mind any areas of your life that you need to shape more closely to His design as revealed in this passage. Contemplate God’s love and power as it is revealed here.

Step 6: Live It Out

What precisely ought you to be believing, thinking, and doing as a result of this passage? Make notes about how you hope to bring these words from Jesus into your current practice.

While it may be unrealistic to incorporate all six steps each time you sit down to read Scripture, call to mind Timothy Keller’s description of meditation from last week as being “not quite bible study and not quite prayer, but a bridge between the two. Therefore, there is a place for meditation just as much as there is a place for reading and prayer. That said, the first will greatly enrich the second and third actions when you have time to do so.

Also, since meditation methods aren’t necessarily “prescribed” in the bible, you should feel free to go wherever you feel led to while practicing this or any other method. I know you may be tempted to “get it right”, but I promise that the Lord does not want time with Him to cause undue stress. If the Spirit is leading, and you are following, you can never be wrong!

As I mentioned, next week I will offer some tips on how to incorporate this Divine Reading, or any other biblical meditation, into already full schedules. It is totally possible! The tips aren’t some set of bullets I found on the internet, but are actual real pieces of advice from my own journey and experience. In the meantime, attempt to complete these 6 steps, or as many as you can, at least once between now and when you read next week’s post. See how you do! I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Pray:

Father God, I know I can and should spend more time in your presence. Help me find one hour this week that I can dedicate only to you. I want to use this time to get deeper into your Word, more so than I usually do. This is especially important as the hustle and bustle of holidays draws nearer. I can get so easily distracted at this time of year. The last thing I want to to be too busy for you. You’re the reason we have this busy time of year to begin with! Just one hour. That’s all I ask today. Help me find it in my schedule or clear something unexpectedly from my plans so I may use that hour just for you. Thank you!

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen.

12 Verses to Give Thanks & How to Meditate on Them Biblically (Part 1 of 3)

In light of tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some Bible verses you can meditate on that highlight giving thanks to our God. However, before I do, I want to explain what it means to meditate biblically. 

Instead of reinventing the wheel here, I’m going to draw on what some of my favorite pastors and theologians have to say on the subject of biblical meditation. The latter is a bit different than what is traditionally considered to be Eastern meditation, or what you might do during a yoga practice.

I personally love turning to Timothy Keller on matters of Christian beliefs and practices.  He is a pastor in New York and has authored several of the books most dear to my heart.  Keller defines Christian meditation as:

‘Not quite Bible Study and not quite prayer, but a bridge between the two’…If prayer is to be a true conversation with God, it must be regularly preceded by listening to God’s voice through meditation on the Scripture…Meditation then, is a kind of super listening in, a close reading (after the first one) that sits with the text long enough to have not just penetrating insights but a shift in our inner being, in our hearts.  

When meditating biblically, it is asking yourself, ‘How would I be different if I took this theological truth seriously? How would it change my attitudes and actions if I really believed this from the bottom of my heart?’

Timothy Keller

While prescribed meditation techniques exist, if you are incorporating the above aspects into your reading of Scripture, you are very much meditating.  

Before wrapping up this general overview of biblical meditation, here is a beautiful illustration from a seventeenth-century church leader, Thomas Brooks:

Remember that it is not hasty reading but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most but he that meditates most that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.

Thomas Brooks

Now, keeping the above in mind, find a quiet place and set aside enough time to meditate on at least 2 or 3 verses that really speak to you from the 12 verses below.  Since any time spent in God’s word is worthwhile, you’re invited to meditate on any other verses you feel led to as well. 

1

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

2

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

3

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

4

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

5

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

6

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 28:7

8

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

9

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:1-3

10

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

11

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1 & 1 Chronicles 16:34

12

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6

To be sure, Scriptures are filled to the brim with verses on giving thanks and adoring our God.  The Psalms are especially good for reading up on praising the Lord.  If you have a long weekend for Thanksgiving, try spending some time in them as well, as you meditate.  If you open up to anywhere even remotely near the middle of your Bible you will open up to Psalms every time!

Next week we will do a deeper dive into biblical meditation. I will be sharing a simplified version of a millennium’s-old method you may wish to incorporate into your prayer life.

As always, thank you for choosing to spend your time here!  From my family to yours, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and happy meditating!