Lent Practices – Week 6 – 3.22.2018

THEME:Subtracting Power, Gaining Honor

BREATH PRAYER: Jesus, give me a desire to surrender my power and follow You.

CENTERING:

I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father.
John 15:15

SETTLING IN:

• In a journal, note the day, time, and place you’re sitting.
• Open with silence. Set a timer for 1, 3, or 5 minutes so you can be free to rest and breathe deeply.
• Complete the following sentence in your journal: Today, I feel ________________.
• Read the centering verse above slowly (aloud or silently).
• Pause for a few moments of silence, then pray this week’s breath prayer.

PRACTICE:
SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP

Spiritual friendship is about deliberately developing relationships built on encouraging and challenging each other toward greater love for God. It is a commitment, quite different from mere friendliness. Adele Calhoun says, “Friendliness doesn’t require loyalties or major investments of time and energy. Friendliness may grease the wheels of human interaction, but it is not the same thing as friendship … Friends know our being as well as our doing.”

Friendship may come easily for you, or it may feel like a painful struggle to open the doors of your life to others. Either way, we can work to cultivate in our lives the very necessary practice of spiritual friendship.

Think about your existing close friendships. Would you consider any of these “spiritual” friendships, according to the definition in the first paragraph? How would you describe yourself as a friend? In your journal, write a few bullet points that characterize your role in these relationships.

Now imagine an ideal spiritual friend. What characteristics would this person have? How would he or she relate to you, encourage you toward greater love of God, and challenge you toward growth? Capture these thoughts in bullet points in your journal.

Spend a few minutes reviewing your lists. What does this show you about yourself and your friendships? How might God be calling you to move toward deeper spiritual friendship with someone? How will you respond to His call?

Summary: Write in your journal a brief summary (five sentences or less) of your practice.

Closing: Jesus, give me a desire to surrender my power and follow You.