Lent Practices – Week 2 – 2.19.2018

THEME: From Distraction to Subtraction

BREATH PRAYER: Jesus, teach me how to make space for You.

CENTERING:

You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, Am holy.
Leviticus 19:2

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:
EXAMEN

Leviticus 19 describes what the God-chosen, set-apart, daily life of the Hebrew people would look like, differentiating them from other nationalities in nearly every way. That list of instructions begins with the centering verse above: “You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, Am holy.”

By the grace of the new covenant under Christ, our salvation does not depend on following that list of regulations. We live set-apart lives as a result of our holiness, not in pursuit of it.

You were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11

• Begin your Prayer of Examen by spending a few moments in gratitude, reflecting on something from the previous day you can give God thanks for. Thank God for the holiness that He has imparted to you through Jesus.
• Review the past day in your mind, moment by moment, asking God to show you times when you have lived as one set apart, belonging to God. Where have you lived as one belonging to the world? Give thanks for those moments where His holiness was present, and ask forgiveness for the moments where it was lacking.
• Ask the Lord to highlight one experience from your day. What might He want you to know about it? Write any thoughts you have in your journal, even if you question whether they’re from God or not.

End with a few moments of silence, then thank God for what He revealed to you today.

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

Closing: Jesus, teach me how to make space for You.