In our Staying in Touch video this past week, Paige and I shared a little bit about how we are trusting God for his guidance in these new days. I want to share a bit more concretely how I’m personally attempting to do this while also offering some tools that may be helpful to you in this season as well. This truly is a challenging period, but there is an invitation amidst it to ask God daily “How am I to live and act as YOUR person in this place today?” Here are three spiritual disciplines that I’m trying to incorporate into my daily rhythms to better live into this question.
Listen
Worships songs, Scriptures and insights from friends seem to pop into my head at times randomly when I’m doing the dishes and at other times when I’ve carved out five minutes to sit quietly on my porch. God communicates with his people through his Spirit and he is teaching me that this is true. Lately, I’ve tried reflecting on these promptings rather than rushing past them, trusting that this is the Lord’s word for me today. These are God-given gifts that can be plumbed deeply, and so I ask the Lord to reveal what he wants me to see through them. A way that I’m trying to encounter and digest Scripture is through a tool that can be found online or as an app on your phone called pray-as-you-go. This devotional tool offers a quick 15-minute set aside time to listen to music, pause for prayer and embark on a guided time of reflection on a scriptural passage in the Gospels. You can find it here: https://pray-as-you-go.org/.
Pray
Prayer is a helpful daily spiritual re-alignment tool. I find myself doing many phone and Zoom calls throughout the day. You may as well. Before them, I’m going to the Lord with these questions/thoughts: What’s it going to be like to be on this call with me? How can I make this call about them? Is there something you want to do through me at this time? Help me to be open, Lord, to what you want to do in this time.
Reflect
As I mentioned, God is speaking to us all the time. He is constantly inviting us to be aware of what he is saying. Our role is to quiet our hearts and trust that he is speaking. One of the questions I’m asking myself, which is a common question used in spiritual direction, is “What is God’s gift for me today?” I try to ruminate on this at some point throughout the day.
Before I head to bed, on the days I remember to do it and have the energy after putting Halle to sleep, I use a tool that people have been using for centuries. It is called the Prayer of Examen. This prayer recalls events and feelings of the day and illuminates where God was present and drawing near to you in them. There are guided resources online to offer tips on how to use this spiritual discipline. I’d recommend this link as it offers a guided time and is great for beginners: https://pray-as-you-go.org/article/examen-prayer.
May we be a people who encounter God afresh in this new season! Keep the faith!
