EHS Practices – Week 6 – Day 4
THEME: Finding a Rhythm
BREATH PRAYER: Jesus, help me slow down and experience Your goodness
SETTLING IN:
- In a journal, note the day, time, and place you’re sitting.
- Open with a few moments of silence. Rest, and breathe deeply.
- Complete the following sentence in your journal: Today, I feel ________________.
- Read these words slowly (aloud or silently):
“God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.”
1 Corinthians 12:6
Pray this week’s breath prayer and pause for a few moments of silence.
PRACTICE:
worship
Worship is revealing. We can hardly help what we worship or how we do it. What we worship is revealed by the ways we spend our attention, energy, time, and other resources. How we engage in worship reveals much about the unique way God has created each of us. Our specific gifts and interests and callings and methods of worship glorify God in ways that speak to His vastness and creativity.
Reflect on a time when you have been deeply moved, perhaps surprisingly, out of love or joy or peace. While singing? Exploring nature? Viewing some form of art? In creating something? Where were you, or what were the circumstances? In what locations do you feel most close to heaven on earth? Based on your reflection of that time of meaningful worship, choose one of the practices below.
NATURE
Take walk around your yard or neighborhood, along a nature trail, or anywhere you can observe God’s creation. As you begin walking, pray that God would reveal His presence to you as you go. Pay attention to the natural sounds you hear–birds and insects, water flowing, leaves rustling. Consider how God designed these creations to operate: leaves and flowers turn their faces toward the sun; animals instinctively know how to find food and shelter; creeks and waterfalls continually flow. As you walk, look for and expect to see other ways God reveals His glory in nature. Thank Him for creating this home for us in beauty and wonder and majesty.
MUSIC / VISUAL ART
Music and artwork can lead us into a time of worship that reaches a deep place in our spirits. Begin by asking the Lord to lead you in worship, ushering you into His presence through music or visual art. If you choose music, play a song that is meaningful to you. Close your eyes and listen to the chords and tones and subtleties of the song. If a work of art, choose a piece you love, one that seems to go beyond beautiful for you. View the piece in person or search online for an image, and look at it for several minutes. What emotions does this song or work of art evoke? Whether sacred or secular, remember God is the Author of all beauty and goodness. How do these notes or beats or colors or shapes reflect God’s character? In prayer, give Him praise for displaying His glory through music and art.
CREATIVITY
God is infinitely creative, and the parts of us that find joy and meaning in making things identify with this aspect of His character. Review the list of names for God from this practice. Choose one of them as your inspiration, then spend time creating something. A few ideas:
- paint, draw, or doodle
- write a song, poem, or short story
- sew, crochet, knit, or stitch
- sculpt
- build with wood or another medium
- plant or tend a garden
As you create, invite God to fill your work with His Holy Spirit. Think of your creativity as an act of worship, giving back to Him from the gifts He has given you, and glorifying Him with them.
After you complete your practice, write about how this method of worshiping felt for you. Does it help you recognize God’s goodness in a different way? In what ways were you able to relate to a different component of His character? How could you incorporate some different forms of worship into the rhythm of your life?
Summary: Write in your journal a brief summary (five sentences or less) of your act of worship and how it felt.
Closing: Continue to worship and glorify God, Author of all creation, as you close your time in prayer. Jesus, help me slow down and experience Your goodness.
