Growing Together:
As we grow together, each week we will practice a discipline together that will help our walk with Jesus. This week we are going to practice Lectio Divina together. Unlike analytical Bible study, which focuses on historical facts or theological arguments, Lectio Divina aims for personal transformation and communion with God.
Instruction for Lectio Divina: A Simple Way to Pray Scripture
1. Be still
Sit down. Silence your phone. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak. One sentence is enough: “Lord, I am here.”
2. Read
Read the passage slowly out loud.
Read it a second time.
Notice a word or phrase that stays with you. Do not hunt for a sermon. Receive what is given.
3. Reflect
Sit with that word.
What is God showing you about himself?
What is he showing you about you?
Where does this touch your real life this week?
4. Pray
Talk to God about what you noticed. Thank him. Confess. Ask. Keep it plain.
5. Rest
Stop talking. Stay with God for a minute. You do not have to fix anything. Let the Word hold you.
6. Live
Carry one sentence into the week. If you are in a group, share that one sentence.
Verse for Lectio Divina this week: Isaiah 40:25-31
25 To whom then will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
mighty in power,
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God’?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Questions:
How have you seen God’s power move through and in your life? Has there been seasons where you have seen this more than others?
The same power of God that saves us (Romans 1:16) the very power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18–20) now lives in you. That power strengthens you in your inner being, roots you more deeply in His love, and moves you toward the purpose He has for you. How have you tended to think about God’s power at work in your life?
Does seeing it this way saving, resurrecting, and now strengthening you from the inside change how you live, pray, or step into what God is calling you to
What does it mean to be rooted and established in Christ’s love?
What are tangible ways to remain rooted in Jesus’ love in more consistent ways?
If you are comfortable sharing, what do you feel that God is calling you to over the next year? How was the experience of writing down this purpose for you on Sunday?
What are some tangible steps you can takes towards God’s purpose and call for your life over the next few weeks?