Lectio Divina

Week 4, day 4 is coming up tomorrow, January 26...
Tuesday, January 26
Psalm 68: 5-6
5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6 God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

For today and next Tuesday, mediate on these verses and pray for the fatherless, the widows, and the lonely. Pray that the Father of all Fathers would place them in a community of love and encouragement. Remember those who are in bondage, pray what you think you’re hearing the Holy Spirit say. Don’t forget to pray for any areas of personal bondages, isolation, or rebellion.



I am actually looking forward to getting up early on Tuesday mornings and I find myself meditating on the scriptures throughout the week.
Lectio Divina is a Latin term for "sacred reading" and was practiced by the early church fathers and in monasteries of the middle ages and greatly influenced the development of Christianity. It is much like what the Psalmist David refers as meditation. The Strong's Concordance defines the word 'meditate' as "to ponder, converse (with oneself, hence aloud) or utter: commune, declare, speak, talk (with)"
"Lectio Divina, according to Wikipedia is Latin for divine reading, spiritual reading, or "holy reading," and represents a traditional Christian practice of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to increase in the knowledge of God's Word. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray and even sing and rejoice from God's Word, within the soul." Wikipedia goes on to state that it is typically done in the early morning, at the same time, and involves reading through a particular book. Who Knew!!!
For me, this kind of study is very freeing in that its focus is on only small passages and not on the quantity of scripture I read. Jewish tradition tells us that the Rabbis use this method of meditating on small bits of God's Word in order to receive 'layers' of understanding. It's like allowing the Word to read us!
Psalm 1:1-2 "Blessed is the man...His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

Happy meditating,

Enjoy God!

I wanted to share my praise experience form yesterday's reading. I had a long drive in the country yesterday. So, on my way I asked the Lord, O.K., so what does it mean to praise you? I started 'really' looking at the beautiful scenic countryside. I began thanking the Lord for the trees! They offer shade, supply wood for housing, offer beauty, shelter for creatures, they dance in the wind. I began to thank Him for giving mankind the ingenuity to build a motor and car so I could travel, the ingenuity to take simple resources and make pavement so my travel could be comfortable it sounds kinda hokey but it was wonderful!
I began to see that when we look with 'praiseful' eyes, we see what others do not. I actually, at one point, slowed down, rolled the window down (cause there is hardly any traffic!) and began to proclaim blessing over the land, it's people, and its resources.
The Message Bible says in verse 4, "...all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of the Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him!"
I enjoyed God, I saw Him and cheered!

"A Great Company"

I am still so excited to be on this journey with all of you! Tuesday, January 19th begins the third week of our journey. I am so amazed at the insights ladies are sharing with me, both in private and on facebook, and now hopefully, on the blog! (If you want to connect with the facebook group, just shoot me a friend request, Sandra Dixon Saylor, with a note that says, prayer journey.) If you are just now joining us, you have only two verses to review. This is a contemplative study so it is not the quantity of scripture that we are focusing on but the quality; taking small bites and allowing it saturate our souls!
There are ladies from many places all praying every Tuesday, sometime during the early morning hours. I can hardly wait to hear what God does IN YOU, FOR YOU, and THROUGH YOU. We love hearing your encouraging insights in God's Word.
Remember, this is a contemplative study, with the emphasis being on mediating on only small passages of scripture. Don't despair if you aren't experiencing the insights you were expecting. IT WILL COME! Just as a caterpillar melts away slowing in the cocoon, it emerges suddenly, transformed.
(For a complete schedule and an explanation of how this all got started, just email me and I'll send you one)
Btw, you'll need a journal to record your thoughts.

Tuesday, January 19

Psalm 68: 3-4

³ But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
⁴ Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!

The Amplified Bible states verse four like this, “Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him who rides through the deserts—His name is the Lord—be in high spirits and glory before Him! (Italics mine) Our praises erect a highway for the Lord to invade our deserts!

Today, meditate on these verses and sometime during the day, follow the directions found in these scriptures (no matter how silly you may feel!) Record your plan.

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Tuesday, January 12th is the second day of our journey. We are still visiting last week's scripture passage. This week, however, take a closer look at the references in Hebrews. Record your thoughts.
Psalm 68: 1-2
1 Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2 Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
Use this scripture today & next Tuesday for personal repentance. Ask God to arise in your heart, allowing Him to show you the hidden things that are not like Him. Allow Him to blow them away like smoke in the wind, leading you to a place of unhindered prayers. Use a journal to confess and release the things that the Holy Spirit shows you. And remember, conviction is a ‘trigger’ that should always point us to Jesus, His sacrifice and our imputed righteousness, not condemnation, despair and self-effort. We don’t need to ‘try’ harder, we need to ‘trust’ harder! (Hebrews 3:19 & Hebrews 4:10-16)