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Some days I get overwhelmed by all of the diet or supplement programs that my friends are promoting on Facebook. I rejoice with them in their weight loss and in finding what worked for them. However, there is no one plan that works the same for every single person. We are all different. We are unique. We cannot expect the same results for one person as for another.
The same concept applies to our spiritual diet. It is different for everyone. There are days in which I need to exercise my spiritual muscles in the Word. Or I am lacking in vitamin “P,” in need of extra prayer.
My mom was craving vegetables last week—probably a sign that her body needed one of those nutrients.
Spiritually speaking, we sometimes don’t know what we are craving, but there is a spiritual void that can only be filled by our Creator.
What element of your spiritual diet do you need an extra dose of today?
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Today, I invite you to go through the steps of the spiritual discipline known as Lectio Divina. This discipline can be practiced with any portion of Scripture.
Before you start, spend some time in silence, preparing your mind to hear what God says to you through that passage of Scripture.
The chosen verses (Philippians 1:3-11 or whatever verses you choose) are read four consecutive times, each time asking a different question and following each step with another period of silence.
1. Read the passage listening for a word or phrase that jumps out at you. Savor and repeat the word without reflecting too much on it.
2. Reflect or meditate on the word or phrase while reading through the passage a second time. You might ask, “What is it in my life that needed to hear this word today?”
3. Respond. Is there an invitation or challenge that God is calling you to? What is your response to this invitation? Perhaps this scripture has touched a place of pain, frustration, or anger. We can pour out these feelings in the safety of this moment of communion with God, and in prayer.
4. When our response has subsided, we read the passage one last time, in contemplation—to rest in God and resolve that we will walk with Him in our daily life, inspired and encouraged by the word or phrase that we have heard through this exercise.
Portions taken from Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.