Share the Gospel: Week of January 24

What?
Intentionally share the good news of Jesus Christ with one person this week.

Why?
God is forgiving sin and healing the world of sin’s corrupting influence through his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the good news that every person who has placed their confidence in him has experienced personally. While we ought to be ready to make a defense for the hope we have in him at any time (1 Peter 3:15), following Jesus’ command to make disciples (Matt 28:19) requires that we actively, intentionally share the gospel as well. Loving our neighbor includes caring for their physical needs but extends beyond this to care for their eternal spiritual need for God.

Simplify Your Schedule: Week of January 17

What?
Reduce the number of meetings, activities, commitments, or outings that you participate in this week.

Why?
Busyness and clutter plague our culture, distracting our attention and confusing our desires. Pulled in a thousand directions and burdened by a million commitments, we have become a fragmented people with unclear purpose, shallow devotion, and countless anxieties. A practice of external simplicity resists this tendency in our culture and allows us, by the power of the Spirit, to train towards the kind of internal simplicity that characterized Jesus — that single-minded intention to glorify God with one’s whole life.

How?
Plenty of blogs can teach you how to declutter your life. For advice on acknowledging your priorities, distinguishing what is essential from what is extra, and making necessary cuts in your schedule, you should do a Google search and see what you find. But as believers in Jesus Christ, our purpose in practicing simplicity runs deeper: We want to utilize external disciplines to cultivate our spiritual life so that at our core we look more and more like Jesus.. That means supplementing the blogs’ advice with spiritual insights. Prayer ought to accompany this practice in several important ways.

1. In prayer, we must acknowledge that we are finite creatures who cannot be at all places or do all things and that only the Lord is God. We must lay aside our culturally-imposed ideal of playing God. 

2. In prayer, we must ask for the discernment to identify the areas in our life in which we have busied ourselves, whether in productive ways (meetings, activities, house care, etc.) or in unproductive ways (“scrolling,’ binge watching, shopping, etc.). 

3. In prayer, we must lay our anxieties about not doing and going at the Lord’s feet and ask that he build our trust in him. 

4. Finally, in prayer, we must ask for the focus to seek first the Kingdom of God. With fewer distractions, spend time away from the doing and going and simply be with God in silence and prayer and the Word. Ask him how you can glorify him more fully and make that the entire goal of your life.

Prayer of Adoration: Week of January 10

What?
During your time of daily prayer, offer a prayer of adoration, worshipping and praising God for who he is.

Why?
Every deep relationship requires that we acknowledge the worth of the other person whose fellowship we enjoy. Offering compliments and praise reminds us of their value and completes our enjoyment of their fellowship. This is why Jesus taught his disciples to pray as he did. Purposefully acknowledging the infinite worth of God — “hallowed be your name” — steers our hearts away from adoring ourselves and other creatures, reveals that our heart has truly grasped the magnificence of “our Father in heaven,” and allows us to rest more deeply in fellowship with him.

How?
First, we should observe that in adoration, we acknowledge the marvelous attributes and works of God. These are words of praise focused solely on honoring God apart from any particular circumstances. To adore God is simply to express what is true about him. This in turn functions as a sort of gateway to other forms of prayer like confession, thanksgiving, and petition. For example,

• Adoration: God, you are great, and there is no one like you.

• Confession: Lord, I fail to recognize your greatness and constantly try to build up my own reputation and success.

• Thanksgiving: I thank you that there is none greater than you and that I can have confidence in your care of me.

• Petition: My troubles are overwhelming, but I know that you are greater, Lord. So please rescue me from my suffering.

Second, if adoration is praising God for who he is, or what is true about him, we can pick any of his attributes and works and express these back to him. (Not that he needs our validation, but this completes our enjoyment of him just as it complete one’s enjoyment of one’s partner to express to them, “You are beautiful” or “You are handsome.”) So explore in prayer God’s holiness, self-sufficiency, omnipotence, grace, love, justice, truthfulness, and more. Helpful resources include:

• Praying the Attributes of God by Rosemary Jensen (Follow the link to see a preview of seven chapters. This also demonstrates how each attribute is rooted in Scripture and leads to other forms of prayer.)

• The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (The link provides the full text of the book. Each chapter begins and ends with a prayer concerning an attribute of God.)

• “Praying the Names and Attributes of God” (This article lists thirty names of attributes of God with simple definitions and relevant Scripture.)

Third, besides the Word-made-flesh, there is no better teacher of prayer than the written Word to enlarge your vocabulary for prayer.

• As you read Scripture, ask yourself what that passage reveals about God, and turn this into praise. 

• Take a look at specific prayers of adoration by God’s faithful like Moses (Exodus 15:1-18), Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), Isaiah (Isaiah 40:9-31), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Paul (Ephesians 1:3-14), or the angels in heaven (Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:9-14).

• The Psalms, what some have called the Bible’s prayerbook, contain innumerable prayers of worship throughout. Some that focus on adoration include Psalm 8, 18, 24, 29, 33, 34, 36, 46, 47, 65-68, 84, 89-100, 103-107, 111, 113-118, 121, 130, 135-136, 139, and 144-150. Make these your own prayers.

Memorize Scripture: Week of January 3

What?
To mark the season of Epiphany, which draws our attention to the revelation of Jesus’ glory, memorize Hebrews 1:3 by the end of the week.

Why?
When the devil sought to tempt Jesus, the Son of God responded with the Word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4, quoting Deut 8:3). He resisted the lure of sin by storing the Word in his heart (Ps 119:11) and relishing it as sweeter than honey (Ps 19:10). By following this pattern of Scripture memorization, we discover the will of God more fully, discern truth from error more easily, disciple others more effectively, and commune with the Father more deeply. In short, we grow more into the image of Christ — full of his life, love, peace, and righteousness.

How?
Memorization techniques abound, and a simple internet search could track down some effective methods (like this one for long-term memorization). But to store the Word in your heart is a deeper process that ought to integrate as much of you — mind, spirit, and body — as possible. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips:

1. Understand the text. Look at the full context in which the passage falls and take time to consider what the author intended to communicate. Do a little study.

2. Meditate on the text. Allow the Word to fill your imagination, considering all the implications of the text and how it affects you directly. Wonder at the majesty of God revealed in the text, express gratitude for his goodness, and join your story to his Story.

3. Pray the text. Turn those verses into a prayer of praise, thanksgiving, confession, or petition.

4. Embody the text. This could mean two things. Embodying the text could refer to living it out, practicing what it says. And you should certainly do that. But also engage the text with your body: Speak it out loud, listen to it, and write it. To challenge your creativity, draw it or turn it into a song.

Combine these with traditional memorization techniques, which usually involve a fair amount of repetition and quizzing yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). Commit with another person to practice this discipline and hold each other accountable.

Love: No Phone While Waiting (Week of Dec 20)

What?
Refrain from pulling out your phone any time you are waiting this week. Instead, engage those around you or silently pray.

Why?
We were created to live in loving relationships — with God and our fellow man. We find that our phones, however, often split our attention and distract us from truly engaging others in love. In this Advent season, in which we celebrate Christ’s first coming and long for his return when his love will fully heal all things, let us practice the love he has already shown us (1 John 4:10, 19) by consciously setting our phones down as we wait. This resists the distracted, me-centered world we live in and prepares our hearts to receive our King.

How?
For many of us, pulling out our phone has become habit, something we do without thinking. For that reason, we might need a visible reminder to set it aside, like changing the background on the lock screen or home screen to a picture of a stop sign, a note that reads “wait in His love,” or something that reminds us to set our phones back down. 

Use these moments of waiting to practice praying “without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17), and recite a breath prayer, a short prayer that one offers while taking slow breaths. For example,

• “Father, [inhale] fill me with your love [exhale].”

• “Jesus, [inhale] let me know the love of the cross [exhale].”

• “Holy Spirit, [inhale] comfort me with your love [exhale].”

Or, pray in your own words.

• Ask the Lord for the grace to know and experience his overwhelming love which he has revealed in Christ (Ephesians 3:14-10; Romans 5:6-11; 8:31-39). 

• Pray also for the strength to return his love with your whole heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). 

• Pray that the Spirit would give you eyes to see those in need around you and the ability to extend Christ’s love to them (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 25:31-40).

If you have not prepared in advance how you are to pray in your times of waiting or prepared yourself to act on the Spirit’s leading in demonstrating love to others, more than likely you’ll just be more bored than you typically would be if you had distracted yourself with your phone. Be purposeful in the waiting, and invite the Holy Spirit to grow you in love.

Joy: Time of Meditation (Week of Dec 13)

What?
Several days this week, spend 10-15 minutes meditating on Scripture passages that describe the joy and harmony of God’s coming Kingdom.

Why?
Many things, people, and experiences promise to fill us with joy. Advertisers in particular place before our minds visions of delight that their products and services supposedly bring. Because these things are not fueled by infinite love and perfect peace, however, any joy they produce will fade. We must counter these false joys with visions of the Kingdom of God, where real delight can burst forth in response to God’s pure love and peace. By setting our minds on Christ’s coming Kingdom, we anticipate the rejoicing and delight of heaven even now.

How?
A number of passages that reveal bits of what God’s final Kingdom will be like are listed below. You can pick a different one each time you choose to meditate or sit on the same passage throughout the week.

First, read the passage slowly. 

Second, as you read, pay attention to the various aspects of the passage. What is God doing? What role does his Anointed One play? How are the effects of sin being undone? What does God reveal about a restored universe? How do his people respond? You may want to reread the passage multiple times.

Third, allow your imagination to swim in the descriptions and images of the Kingdom. Imagine what it will be like to live in God’s perfect Kingdom with Christ and his Church.

Fourth, as you are filled with the love and peace that characterize the Kingdom of God, rejoice in the fact that the Spirit has invited you into this kind of  life with him now in a spiritual sense and fully at Jesus’ return.

Passages could include:

• Isaiah 2:1-5; 9:2-7; 11:1-10; 25; 35; 54; 61; 62:1-5; 65:17-25

• Jeremiah 31:1-14

• Ezekiel 34:25-31; 36:24-38; 37:21-28

• Joel 2:21-32

• Amos 9:11-15

• Micah 4:1-7

• Zephaniah 3:14-20

• Zechariah 8; 9:9-17

• Revelation 19:6-10; 21:1-22:5

Peace: Prayer of Peace (Week of Dec 6)

What?
Every day, pray that the peace of Christ would bring rest to your soul and stillness to our chaotic world.

Why?
God created the world in shalom — peace, wholeness, order, flourishing. But our sin has broken that peace, sowing chaos and discord in every person’s heart and across every culture. Although we long for God’s original state of affairs, only Jesus, through his perfect sacrifice for sin, establishes a lasting peace that endures all trials (John 16:33), breaks down all hostility (Ephesians 2:13-17), and surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

How?
As it is for most spiritual disciplines, it helps to choose a consistent time and place each day. This may be a time of prayer alone or with those in your household, spoken or written, your own words or the words of another. 

As you pray for God’s peace personally, name specific things that cause disharmony in your life: sins, anxieties, ailments, doubts, etc. Ask the Spirit of God to fill you with his presence on a continual basis that you might radiate the peace of Christ.

As you pray for God’s peace to bring healing to our world, name specific sources of brokenness and discord. Pray for the lost, the hurting, the imprisoned, and the poor. Pray for our elected leaders, appointed officials, and all civil servants. Pray against tribalism and hatred but for reconciliation and unity. Pray against injustice, violence, and lies. Pray for wisdom in dealing with the pandemic. Ask the Holy Spirit to open spiritual eyes and renew sinful hearts that the grace and love of Jesus might flood the world.

To deepen your longing for the peace of Christ, consider reading or praying through these passages of Scripture:

• Psalm 39:7-13; 42-43; 72:1-14; 85

• Ezekiel 34:25-31; 37:24-28

• John 14:25-31; 16:33

• Romans 5:1-11

• Ephesians 2:13-17

• Philippians 4:4-9

• Colossians 1:19-22

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Hope: Light a Candle (Week of Nov 29)

What?
Light a candle every day and pray: “May we hope in the true light, which has come and is coming again, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Why?
Physical darkness can be suffocating, crushing. Emotional or spiritual darkness even more so. But the faintest glimmer of light, as dim as it may be, shines like a beacon to the burdened soul, calling them onward in hope. And there is no truer light, no firmer hope than the light of the world, Jesus Christ. He promises that whoever follows him “will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Indeed, one day the whole world will bask in his glorious light (Revelation 21:23). In lighting a candle and repeating these words, we visibly remind ourselves of the hope we have in him who overcomes the darkness (John 1:5).

How?
The logistics are simple enough: Decide on a time in which the whole household can participate, take any candle, light it, say the words. But the point is not simply in lighting the candle and repeating some phrases, as if these produce hope by some kind of magic. They don’t. The point is to direct our hearts towards the light of Christ and enlarge our hope in him. What does that mean for this practice?

It means that your attitude and intention matter. Perhaps prepare your heart with prayer beforehand or follow the practice with a prayer. Or, take a moment of silence to reflect on the meaning of Christ as our light and hope. You could also pair this practice with a reading from Scripture. Build out this practice in any way that helps you to focus your hope on Jesus.

For those who want to pair this practice with Scripture reading, consider these texts: 

• Psalm 18:25-30; 27:1-14; 37:1-7; 56:8-13

• Isaiah 9:2-7; 42:16-17; 60:18-22

• John 1:1-18; 8:12; 12:27-36

• Romans 5:1-2

• 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

• Ephesians 2:11-22

• Titus 2:11-14

• 1 Peter 1:3-5

• Revelation 21:22-27; 22:5

(You might also consider lighting the candles of an Advent wreath throughout this season.)

Feast: Week of November 22

What?
Gather some close friends or family together for a feast to celebrate the goodness of God.

Why?
Nehemiah encouraged the people of Israel that “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Similarly, Paul charged the church at Philippi to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). They direct us to live with joy because, together as God’s redeemed people, we have the ability to delight in the fellowship of the most glorious, beautiful Being in the universe. But in a world of anxiety and insecurity, guilt and shame, licentiousness and legalism, we must purposefully practice the joy of the Lord in community with other believers. Holding a feast is one avenue towards cultivating that joy.

How?
First, we have to distinguish a feast from a party. For a party, the hosts often fret about pulling together all the preparations and entertaining their guests. And for some, partying simply means over indulging (usually with alcohol). A feast, on the other hand, is about cultivating an anxiety-free, safe, and hospitable environment in which some celebration, some thanksgiving, and some simple enjoyment can take place to the glory of God.

Second, Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4-8 can guide our feasting: 

1. Be reasonable; don’t go crazy (v. 5).

2. Actively reduce stressors and anxiety inducers (v. 6a). Share the load with meal preparation, don’t worry about dieting, give the kids a little more freedom in what they eat, etc.

3. Invite the peace of God with prayer and thanksgiving (vv. 6b-7). That doesn’t mean you need to prepare a devotional, but at least draw attention to the fact of God’s goodness evident among you.

4. Enjoy what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise (v. 8) Let these things guide your conversation more than the general cares of life. Focus on future dreams, hobbies, exciting life events, or any good gift of God

In his book Recapturing the Wonder, Mike Cosper draws up eight “ground rules” for feasting. (1) Turn off your phones. (2) Do not count calories, carbs, or “any other nonsense.” (3) Make some buttered noodles (or something simple) for the kids. (4) Conversations should be driven by joy. (5) Plan for abundance. (6) Don’t worry about place settings, tidying up just right, or impressing. (7) Call attention to the feast as a gift from God. (8) Give yourself grace because this is a practice.

Fast: Week of November 15

What?
Abstain from food for a day or more. When you would normally eat, meditate on the Word or pray instead.

Why?
We constantly seek to fill our emptiness by consuming food and other comforts. We ignore the state of our soul and our neighbor’s need by medicating with food and drink. Regular fasting turns us from our tendency to consume. In our hunger, it exposes who we really are, helps us sympathize with those who often go without, and opens us to feast on the Word of God, Jesus Christ, the nourishing bread and water of our souls.

(The Common Rule, adapted)

How?
Decide how long you will fast, whether that will be one to two meals or one or more days. Prior to fasting, be sure to consider any personal health risks (e.g., if you are diabetic, pregnant or nursing, etc.) and consult a doctor if necessary. Make sure to stay hydrated. It is best to ease into and out of a fast: Reduce your meal size prior to fasting, and do not engorge yourself when breaking the fast.

Plan what you will do rather than eating, such as praying or reading Scripture. This is what makes the practice most spiritually edifying. Also, plan on how the lack of food will likely affect you both physically and emotionally and prepare to counter these. For example, you might be tired and irritable. If you expect this, pray that the Lord would give you strength and a calm demeanor.

Prayer of Confession: Week of November 8

What?
During your time of daily prayer, confess (1) that you are a sinner, naming specific sins, and (2) that Jesus is your only Savior and Lord.

Why?
When God confronted Adam after his sin, Adam’s first response was to blame Eve. Eve in turn blamed the serpent. And ever since, humanity has attempted to hide from the reality that we are sinners; our nature is corrupt and broken. Telling ourselves that we are good deep down does not make it so but rather prevents true healing from taking place. In confessing our sin, we are in a sense exposing our wounds. But in confession Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we acknowledge that the Great Physician is healing those wounds by his death and resurrection.

How?
Although you can offer a prayer of confession any time of day, a short prayer in the morning helps frame your entire day in the truth and love of God. It allows you to set down your pride and self-importance and receive the sanctifying grace of Christ.

Because it goes against our nature to admit our wrongs, praying a pre-written prayer can assist you in identifying the many ways in which we sin (and thus the great extent to which Christ saves us). Psalm 51 is a great place to begin. You can also view prayers here and here.

You might also consider journaling your prayer. This also allows you to really see your sin, acknowledge it, and release it to the saving work of God.

Time of Silence: Week of November 1

What?
Spend 15-30 minutes each day in silent reflection away from distractions

Why?
We live in a loud age. White noise envelopes us from the house to the car to work to the store and everywhere in between. All of the noise demands our attention, distracting us from the inner workings of our hearts and minds and, more importantly, from the voice of God, who often speaks with “the sound of a low whisper (1 Kings 19:12). Intentional moments of silence allow us the opportunity to hone in on that voice, to pay special attention to his words rather than the competing calls for our hearts.

How?
Decide on an appropriate time of day. Let any necessary individuals know that you will be unavailable for a short time. Turn off or silence phones, computers, TVs, music players, etc. You might find it helpful to find a place of solitude, whether in your home, in a closed office, or at a park.

In that time, silence your own voice, and ask the Spirit to speak. Or, meditate on a passage or verse of Scripture or on an attribute of God. When your mind begins to wander, do not be discouraged. Acknowledge that your attention has strayed and refocus on listening or meditating.

Commit with another person to practice this discipline and hold each other accountable.

One Day Without Media: Week of Oct 25

What?
For one day, refrain from all non-essential applications, including social media, sports, news, and shopping.

Why?
Scrolling, on any digital platform, rewires us to crave connectivity, the urge to place ourselves in the middle of all that is going on. But our mind becomes a landfill of mess, and we lose ourselves to anxiety, envy, and distraction, drowning out the voice of the Lord. Abstaining from media, reminds us that the world does not revolve around us but that the Lord holds all things together. By disconnecting from the noise, we are better positioned to connect to God.

How?
Set reminders on your phone the night before and the morning of. If needed, go into your phone’s settings and manually pause non-essential apps for the day. When you find yourself wanting to scroll, pray instead. Thank God that he governs the world by his own power, and ask that he align your heart with his.

Commit with another person to practice this discipline. Ask your partner to text you at the beginning of the day to remind you about your practice and a follow up text at the end.

Prayer of Intercession: Week of Oct 18

What?
Pray for the specific needs of others each day.

Why?
God is a perfect Father who loves to give good gifts to his children. He actually encourages them to rely fully on him, to ask, seek, and knock at his door (Matt 7:7-11), promising that when they ask according to his will, he hears and acts (1 John 5:14-15). God affects real change in the world through prayer. When we pair this truth with Jesus’ concern for sinners and sufferers, we begin to understand our need for intercessory prayer, prayer that lifts up the needs of others. When we do pray for others, we not only more closely align our hearts and wills with God’s, we love our neighbors well.

How?
Christians in our culture are generally pretty bad about not following through on prayer for others. We have all been on the giving and receiving end of a “I’ll be praying for you” that never resulted in prayer. How can we remedy that? 

Countering cynicism, doubt, disbelief. Sometimes we do not engage in intercessory prayer because we have prayed for particular circumstances before, and what we hoped would happen did not come to pass. There are plenty of good, theologically sound reasons why that might have been the case (also here), but those reasons don’t necessarily take away the sting of disappointment in the moment or the bite of cynicism that follows. Remembering the past faithfulness of God, what we need most is the prayer of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus on our lips: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

Countering our limited understanding of needs. In an insightful article entitled “Pray Beyond the Sick List,” David Powlison exposes that most of us have a limited understanding of what we ought to be praying for. We regularly offer up what he calls circumstantial prayers, prayers that God would change circumstances. But the Bible includes very many more wisdom prayers, prayers that seek the Lord’s sanctifying grace, and kingdom prayers, high-level prayers that “ask God to change everything by revealing Himself more fully on the stage of real life” (emphasis original). Because we tend to focus on one to the exclusion of others, our intercessory prayers are limited and imbalanced. Our prayers for others would increase and deepen, perhaps, if we expanded the focus of our prayers, recognizing that our greatest need is essentially spiritual — to know and be known by God.

Countering our limited understanding of particular needs. Besides understanding needs generally, many of us don’t truly know the particular needs (circumstantial or spiritual) of those around us. We must pray for intentional relationships of substance and eyes to see true needs. In doing so, we might find, for instance, that a friend not only needs a new job but lessened anxiety and deeper trust in the Lord’s provision.

Countering forgetfulness and distractedness. The best tips that help us to remember our prayers for others involve writing something down — journaling our prayers, making a running prayer list, creating prayer note cards for specific people or certain needs, etc. It might also help to schedule a consistent time to pray and incorporate intercessory prayer as a regular part of that prayer time.
Countering lack of know-how. Still, after all this, we may feel like we simply do not know what or how to pray. We can look to some models of prayer for assistance. That may come by praying with others, or by praying written prayers. For the latter, Matthew Henry’s prayers of intercession based on Scripture is a great place to start.

Expand Your Knowledge: Week of Oct 11

What?
Enlarge your wonder at the wisdom of God by expanding your knowledge of his world in one particular subject.

Why?
Humans struggle with the sin of arrival. We too often believe that we have arrived — that all the mysteries of creation have been revealed, that we know all there is to know. In mastering a few subjects or skills, we act as masters of the universe. In reality, the universe overflows with complexity and beauty beyond what our tiny minds can apprehend, and the Creator, who spoke it all into being, must surely surpass his creation in grandeur. So when we set our minds to explore some aspect of God’s world that lies outside our current understanding and expertise, we remind ourselves not only of our limited capacities but also of his infinite wisdom in devising such an incredibly vast world.

How?
This practice is fairly simple: Pick a subject — as broad as “music” or as specific as “the impact of different materials in making acoustic guitars.” Designate some time to learn. Find a credible source (an article, a book, a video). Dig in. Reflect on the wisdom and greatness of God.

You may find this beneficial to make this a communal practice. Gather a group of friends to learn about something, and discuss your insights together. Or do a sort of knowledge exchange with a friend who has a different area of expertise. This would not only promote accountability but also help us keep the practice God-centered as we reflect together on the wisdom of God evident in our newly discovered subject.

Time of Meditation: Week of Oct 4

What?
Several days this week, meditate on a passage of Scripture for 10-15 minutes.

Why?
Many ideas, stories, people, and experiences capture our minds and imaginations, promising us joy, fulfillment, identity, and more. Because these promises are not founded on infinite love and faithfulness and truth, they will inevitably disappoint us and leave us lost and confused. But God is, in fact, infinitely loving and faithful, and his promises are “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:19). By filling our minds with his Word, his promises seep into our imaginations and hearts so that we long for and are satisfied in the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

How?
Most will find it helpful first to set a specific time to spend in meditation. Then, pick one passage to meditate on throughout the week, or pick a number of passages. If you don’t know where to begin, take a look at the TPC Daily Reading plan. If you read all the selections on a given day, set apart some time to meditate on a smaller passage within that day’s readings. The idea here is not simply to read but to chew on and digest and be filled with God’s Word.

(Notice the difference between Eastern meditation and biblical meditation. In Eastern meditation, one attempts to center oneself or empty one’s mind. In biblical meditation, one fills one’s mind with the truth of Scripture.)

If you’ve never practiced biblical meditation, here are some tips:

1. Read the passage slowly. 

2. As you read, pay attention to the various aspects of the passage. What is God doing? What role does his Anointed One play? How are the effects of sin being undone? What does God reveal about a restored universe? How do his people respond? You may want to reread the passage multiple times.

3. Allow your imagination to swim in the passage or even a few verses. Make its descriptions and images come to life. Really place yourself into the passage as far as possible.

4. Take account of the ways in which the passage interacts with you. Does it challenge your thinking, cause you to worship or wonder, convict you of sin? Process these things, and turn your thoughts and feelings into prayer.

If you find that your mind wanders, do not worry about it. Simply acknowledge that your mind has wandered then turn back to filling your mind with truth.

One Hour of Conversation: Week of Sept 27

What?
Meet with a friend this week for at least an hour for an intentional conversation.

Why?
We were made for each other, and we can’t become lovers of God and neighbor without intimate relationships where vulnerability is sustained across time. In habitual, face-to-face conversation with each other, we learn to share our thoughts, feelings, joys and struggles and to listen to the thoughts, feelings, joys, and struggles of others. We know and become known and, in our vulnerability, are loved anyways. The Holy Spirit works through intentional conversations to grow us more fully into the image of God.

(The Common Rule, adapted)

How?
Invite a close friend who also aspires to love Jesus more to join you in this practice. Intentional conversations grow in intimacy and effectiveness over time, so consider meeting not just this week but the following weeks or every other week. Setting a consistent time and place will help.

If this is to be more than a time to hang out but to build a Proverbs 27:17 friendship (“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”), begin to ask deeper questions. Ask specific questions about one another’s work life, civic life, home life, and spiritual life that could help you better understand your friend and also encourage or challenge them.

• Work Life: How can you better glorify God in your work? What are your relationships with your coworkers like? 

• Civic Life: How can you be an engaged citizen in your city or county? What shapes your political leanings? Are those guided by Scripture?

• Home and Relational Life: What are your relationships like with those inside your home? What are they like with those outside?

Spiritual Life: What has recently inspired you to love God more? What temptations, challenges, or distractions have gotten in the way?

Written Prayer: Week of Sept 20

What?
Each day, read a pre-written prayer or write a prayer of your own.

Why?
The earliest Christians devoted themselves to consciously communing with God, trusting that by going before him in prayer, his kingdom of love and peace and joy would take root in their hearts and spread out into all the world. The Lord answered their prayers mightily. And he would answer our prayers today as well, but we frequently find our prayer life stunted by distracted minds and a weak, thin vocabulary of prayer. Written prayers, whether composed by others or ourselves, can counter these impediments to our walk with God and can deepen and enlarge our life of prayer.

How?
The desire to grow in prayer is good, but it is an empty desire if we do not create some plan of action. Start by answering these simple questions:

• When will I pray each day?

• Where will I pray each day?

• Will I write down my prayer, or will I adopt the written prayer of another in my daily time of prayer?

Writing a Prayer. Writing down a prayer especially helps to curb the tendency we all have to let our minds wander off while praying. We are forced to say something specific to God rather than allow some vague ideas and prayers to float around in our minds without ever really getting at anything. One’s pen or pencil can capture those prayers and set them before the Lord. Your written prayer could take many forms or cover various topics.

• Simply jot down whatever prayer comes to mind in the moment.

• Write a prayer in response to your Scripture reading.

• Focus on one particular kind of prayer: adoration, confession, petition, thanksgiving, or intercession. (See Matthew Henry’s helpful breakdown.)

• Center your prayers around the needs of those in your sphere of influence.

• Pray for the church and all who are called to witness to Christ (which is all of us!).

• Craft a poem of praise; create something beautiful for God.

We could create an endless list of topics. The idea is that you might find it helpful to pick one topic or idea and construct your prayer around that.

Reading a Written Prayer. Like Jesus’ original disciples, we often don’t even know what to pray (Luke 11:1). We can enlarge our vocabulary of prayer, however, by taking up the prayer that another believer has recorded for the benefit of the faithful. We can read these prayers as they are written, using our imagination to step into the thoughts and feelings of the original author and make the prayer our own. Or we can use these prayers as a template, summarizing and elaborating the writer’s words with our own. 

The first place one might start, of course, is the Bible. Besides the Psalms, which function like the Bible’s prayerbook, God led many of his prophets and apostles to write down their prayers. One attempt at cataloging all these prayers may be found here.

We may also learn from the saints of old who have demonstrated faithfulness or the liturgies of various churches across time, space, and tradition. Some of these include:

• Augustine of Hippo

• John Calvin (“Several Godly Prayers” and prayers from his commentary on Hosea)

• John Wesley

• Charles Spurgeon

• Thomas a Kempis

• A Collection of Prayers (This is perhaps the most expansive collection of Christian prayers online.)

• Prayers of the Early Church

• Book of Common Prayer

• The Valley of Vision

• Every Moment Holy

Simplify Your Schedule: Week of Sept 13

What?
Reduce the number of meetings, activities, commitments, or outings that you participate in this week.

Why?
Busyness and clutter plague our culture, distracting our attention and confusing our desires. Pulled in a thousand directions and burdened by a million commitments, we have become a fragmented people with unclear purpose, shallow devotion, and countless anxieties. A practice of external simplicity resists this tendency in our culture and allows us, by the power of the Spirit, to train towards the kind of internal simplicity that characterized Jesus — that single-minded intention to glorify God with one’s whole life.

How?
Plenty of blogs can teach you how to declutter your life. For advice on acknowledging your priorities, distinguishing what is essential from what is extra, and making necessary cuts in your schedule, you should do a Google search and see what you find. But as believers in Jesus Christ, our purpose in practicing simplicity runs deeper: We want to utilize external disciplines to cultivate our spiritual life so that at our core we look more and more like Jesus.. That means supplementing the blogs’ advice with spiritual insights. Prayer ought to accompany this practice in several important ways.

1. In prayer, we must acknowledge that we are finite creatures who cannot be at all places or do all things and that only the Lord is God. We must lay aside our culturally-imposed ideal of playing God. 

2. In prayer, we must ask for the discernment to identify the areas in our life in which we have busied ourselves, whether in productive ways (meetings, activities, house care, etc.) or in unproductive ways (“scrolling,’ binge watching, shopping, etc.). 

3. In prayer, we must lay our anxieties about not doing and going at the Lord’s feet and ask that he build our trust in him. 
4. Finally, in prayer, we must ask for the focus to seek first the Kingdom of God. With fewer distractions, spend time away from the doing and going and simply be with God in silence and prayer and the Word. Ask him how you can glorify him more fully and make that the entire goal of your life.

Memorize Scripture: Week of Sept 6

What?
Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 this week and meditate on it throughout the month.

Why?
When the devil sought to tempt Jesus, the Son of God responded with the Word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4, quoting Deut 8:3). He resisted the lure of sin by storing the Word in his heart (Ps 119:11) and relishing it as sweeter than honey (Ps 19:10). By following this pattern of Scripture memorization, we discover the will of God more fully, discern truth from error more easily, disciple others more effectively, and commune with the Father more deeply. In short, we grow more into the image of Christ — full of his life, love, peace, and righteousness.

How?
Memorization techniques abound, and a simple internet search could track down some effective methods (like this one for long-term memorization). But to store the Word in your heart is a deeper process that ought to integrate as much of you — mind, spirit, and body — as possible. With that in mind, here are some helpful tips:

1. Understand the text. Look at the full context in which the passage falls and take time to consider what the author intended to communicate. Do a little study.

2. Meditate on the text. Allow the Word to fill your imagination, considering all the implications of the text and how it affects you directly. Wonder at the majesty of God revealed in the text, express gratitude for his goodness, and join your story to his Story.

3. Pray the text. Turn those verses into a prayer of praise, thanksgiving, confession, or petition.

4. Embody the text. This could mean two things. Embodying the text could refer to living it out, practicing what it says. And you should certainly do that. But also engage the text with your body: Speak it out loud, listen to it, and write it. To challenge your creativity, draw it or turn it into a song.

Combine these with traditional memorization techniques, which usually involve a fair amount of repetition and quizzing yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col 3:16). Commit with another person to practice this discipline and hold each other accountable.