Open In Prayer
Begin by praying together – taking some intentional time to invite the Holy Spirit into your gathering. Lead your Community into the evening with a non-anxious and joyful spirit.
Below is an optional liturgy you could pray:
Here’s to the king! We lift our cups and our hearts to You, Lord. We rejoice in the truth of Your word: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Amen.
Around The Table & Reflect On Last Gathering’s Practice
This is space during your gathering to share a meal, build relationships, and enjoy one another.
As you’re around the table, invite your Community to reflect on the practice. If your Community is larger, you may find it helpful to reflect in smaller groups for the sake of time.
What aspect of last session’s practice was most difficult for you? Gratitude or intercession?
Where did you most experience God’s nearness?
Do you have any stories of answered prayer? Or unanswered prayer?
Learning: Practicing The Way’s Prayer Course
Session three focuses on learning how to listen to God. In Luke 10:39, it was said of Jesus’ disciple Mary that she “sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He said.” This is the primary posture of a disciple of Jesus: sitting at his feet and listening.
But how do we hear God’s voice? He doesn’t always speak in the ways we’re used to…yet, he speaks in a variety of ways. Ultimately through Jesus, then Scripture, circumstances, desire, prophesy, dreams, visions, the “still small voice,” and more.
Learning to sift through all the “voices” in our head and to discern how God is speaking to us is a key task of discipleship. But learning to hear is just the beginning; learning to obey is an even greater task. Our intention must be to really listen to God, with a heart of loving surrender and trust.
Let’s begin session three: Listening to God.
Practice: BREAD/Lectio Divina & Listening Prayer
We are going to continue to practice a daily prayer rhythm. There is no formation without repetition.
During your daily prayer rhythm, you’re encouraged to practice both BREAD/lectio divina and listening prayer. We practice BREAD as an Ethos Community. BREAD is a reading pattern we follow to engage with the Scriptures…Lectio Divina is very similar to BREAD.
Lectio Divina is an ancient Latin phrase, first used by St. Benedict in the sixth century. It means “spiritual reading.” It’s a way of reading Scripture slowly and prayerfully, listening for God’s word to you.
Below are the intentional movements in BREAD/Lectio Divina:
Breathe / Be Still - Get somewhere quiet and as distraction-free as possible. Take a few deep breaths and welcome in God’s non-anxious presence. Take a minute in stillness, fix your eyes on Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to guide your time.
Read - Read the Psalm and portion of scripture listed in your journal. Pay special attention to any words or phrases or ideas that jump out to you, or that move you emotionally or deeply resonate.
Encounter - Reread the passage again, slowly. This time, pause over the word(s) or phrase(s) that were highlighted to you during your first reading. Meditate on them. Turn them over in your mind. Savor them. What comes to mind and how does it make you feel as you read it? What do you think God is trying to reveal through this verse? Allow Him to speak to you. Write a short reflection on what you think He might be saying.
Apply - Now turn your focus outward. Think about how you might apply this to your day and write down how you’re going to try to live this out.
Devote - Take a few minutes in silence to breathe deeply and rest in God’s loving word to you. Close by writing a simple prayer of devotion to God. Ask that God would fill you afresh and commit your day to Him.
Listening Prayer also involved getting somewhere quiet and distraction-free. Then:
Breathe — Take a minute or two to just breathe slowly and deeply, clearing your mind to receive God’s word to you. You may want to simply pray, “Father” or “Jesus” or “Come Holy Spirit” as you inhale and exhale each breath.
Silence — Ask God to silence the voice of the enemy in your mind, to clear the air around you, to shield and guard your imagination.
Ask the Spirit to speak to you
Open your mind and heart to listen — 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us our body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit within you has direct access to your imagination. Wait quietly with a surrendered heart. He may come to you in a:
word or phrase scripture, thought, metaphor, picture in your mind, short film, kind of a series of pictures in your mind, feeling in your heart, sensation in your body, etc.
If nothing comes, don’t judge yourself, or God. Just give thanks for his love and try again later.
Our job is to be present to God and to listen for His voice when He desires to speak to us.
Test whatever you “hear” against Scripture and in community.
Finally, if God’s word to you was directional, obey. Go do what he said!
[If you are looking for ways to go deeper, the Practicing The Way: Prayer Companion Guide offers optional “reach practices”. Overachievers in the room: there is not an expectation to complete the reach practices, these are simply available for those who have the interest and capacity.]
End in Prayer
Before you conclude, spend some time as a Community praying for one another.
Below is an optional liturgy you could pray:
Lord Jesus, There is no greater prayer than yours — make us one as you are one, in devotion, in living, in love. Amen.