Summer Sabbath Practices – 8.1.2018
BREATH PRAYER: FATHER, transform my heart in this ordinary time.
CENTERING:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46
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:
MEMORIZATION
We memorize Scripture not because we have to—the Bible is available to us anytime online or in apps—but because something changes in our brains when we fill them with the words of life. The Word we have memorized will come to us at the most opportune time, often from out of nowhere. The Holy Spirit reminds us of all we have been taught (John 14:26), including the Word we have etched into our minds.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
Write the verses above in your journal. Pray them as you write. Invite the Lord to know your heart, to search it, and to teach you about yourself. Welcome the leadership He offers in guiding you in the way everlasting. Repeat the words several times, prayerfully considering each phrase.
Write these verses on five cards or sticky notes. Don’t print them and cut them out—hand-write them, and take your time, praying them in your heart. Place them anywhere you spend more than five minutes each day: shower wall, bathroom mirror, kitchen sink, steering wheel, desk, computer screen, kitchen table, a favorite chair. Type it into a note on your phone, screen cap it, and make it your lock screen or wallpaper.
Immerse yourself in these words, in this prayer. When your eyes fall on it, read it. Pray it. Offer it to the Lord as the desire of your heart. It won’t take long for memorization to set in, and in the process, to inscribe your mind and heart with the words of life.
Summary: Write in your journal a brief summary (five sentences or less) of your practice.
Closing: Father, transform my heart in this ordinary time.
If you are unsure how to begin listening for God’s voice and leading in your life, listen to this message by Larry Green, given at the Parish. Feel free to reach out to us at info@parishanglican.org for more information or help with these practices.
