Practicing the Way
Current Practice
Previous Practice
We need more than information for transformation. The practices of Jesus help to get the teachings of Jesus into the muscle memory of our bodies. They turn the idea of following Jesus into a reality in our daily life.
And one of the best ways to begin to “be with Jesus” is by developing a daily prayer rhythm.
There’s no “right” way to do this — you may choose to go on an early morning walk with your dog or curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea or sit cross-legged on the floor and breathe deeply. You may pray the Psalms or let a prayer app guide your meditation. You may do this before the sun rises or as it sets.
Whatever you decide, our exercise for Session 01 is to develop a daily time and place to commune with God through the practices of silence, solitude, and prayer.
Here are a few suggestions for your practice:
01 Find a quiet place that is distraction-free.
o This could be a corner in your home or a nearby park. Find somewhere that you can focus and be at peace.
02 Find a quiet time.
o For many people, first thing upon waking is the best possible time to do this; but for you, it may be before bed, or while your baby is napping mid-morning, or on a lunch break.
o The general rule is: Give God your best time of the day.
03 Come to quiet.
o If at all possible (unless you’re using an app such as Lectio 365 or Pray As You Go to guide your prayer time), put your phone away in another room. Start with a few deep breaths … in and out of your nose, and let your mind and body calm down.
o This may take a few minutes. You’re not in a hurry.
o And then…
04 Open your heart to God in prayer.
o Again, there’s no “right” way to pray. But you don’t have to start from scratch.
o For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have used the Psalms for daily prayer. The Psalms are a collection of poetic prayers found in the middle of the Bible, and they were designed to be prayed, not just read.
o You can pray one psalm or pray a few; it’s up to you. You can start in Psalm 1 and keep going to pray a selection. If you want to pray one psalm, here are some we suggest you start with: Psalms 1, 23, 37, 40, 42-43, 63, 84, 86, 103, and 139.
This whole exercise can be done in five minutes, or it can easily take up to an hour — again, that’s up to you. The key is: Start where you are, not where you feel you “should” be. If two or three minutes is all you can make happen, start there and take the next step.
Reading Plan
