Lectio Divina is a tried and true approach to meditating on passages from the Bible. It’s a way to take the Word of God deep into our hearts and lives. It’s a special gift to share this way of listening to God through Scripture with others in a Bible study or spiritual formation group. Lectio…
An anxious man asked one of the Desert Fathers of long ago for help in his prayer life. The wise mentor invited him first to unburden his soul: “Just as it is impossible for a man to see his face in troubled water, so too the soul, unless it be cleansed of alien thoughts, cannot…
When you read about the fullness of life that Jesus and the other New Testament writers exemplify and talk about what do you think? Surely, you’re drawn to this beautiful way of life –- it is holy, peaceable, centered in God’s goodness, generous, and Spirit-empowered. What if you could grow in Christ to the point that…
The disciplines for the spiritual life that help us to be with Jesus in order to become like him. We may call these “spiritual disciplines” but really they are activities we do with our bodies and all the parts of our person for spiritual purposes. There are many disciplines for our life in Christ. In fact,…
Dallas Willard says that the “great omission” in Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is learning to obey everything that Jesus taught. In most churches today we don’t teach people how to obey Jesus’ commands. As a case in point, when was the last time you heard of a class in church or even a sermon…
Have you ever looked into the face of a man and seen the smile of Christ? Have you ever gotten close enough to a man’s heart that burns for Christ and had the fires of devotion for Christ kindled in your own heart? I have. The man’s name is Ray Ortlund Sr. (The picture of…
Many people have said they’d like to pray the Psalms in the way that I have been doing. I pray through all 150 Psalms in the Psalter every two months in sequence, starting with odd number months (January, March, etc.). This way I pray each Psalm at least six times a year (sometimes in addition…
It used to be that praying the Psalms was something all Christians did every day. They did this privately and in church. Everyone learned to pray from the Psalms and in the process came to understand “the anatomy of the soul,” as John Calvin called it. But Praying the Psalms is a lost discipline today. Rarely is…
“Hi. I’m Bill. I’m a workaholic and adrenaline addict in recovery.” Now you should say, “Hi Bill!” (That’s the way it goes in a 12 Step Group. There is grace for everyone!) How did I recover? How did I get free of adrenaline dependence and anxious overworking? By slowing down for a Sabbath rest. “Hurry Up…
Reading classic devotional books can renew your intimacy with Jesus. Here’s how this discipline works and a list of recommended old books.