Weekly Practice 2/23/26

Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.

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Prayer For the First Week of Lent 

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Scripture

Matthew 4:1-11 MSG

Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.”

Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”

For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.”

Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.”

For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.”

Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”

The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs.

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Practice

Memorize Scripture

Weakened by extreme hunger in the Judean wilderness, Jesus resisted the Devil’s temptations and half-truths with Scripture. He didn't argue. He didn’t trade barbs. He let the truth of Scripture do the talking. Maybe he was on to something.

This week, take time to memorize (or begin memorizing) a piece of Scripture. Any verse will do, but perhaps pick one that is especially important to you. Or find one that addresses any area of temptation for you. For example, if you find that you are impatient with others, maybe something like this fits the bill:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV)

Or if you’re a chronic worrier, you might memorize a portion (or all?) of Matthew 6:25-34: 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? …”

Jesus used memorized Scripture to fight his own temptations. If it was good enough for him, well….

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Sonnets!

Three poems and reflections by poet-priest Malcolm Guite:

• Stones into Bread

• All the Kingdoms of the World

• On the Pinnacle

Weekly Practice 2/17/26

Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.

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Scripture

Psalm 51 MSG

Generous in love—God, give grace!

    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.

Scrub away my guilt,

    soak out my sins in your laundry.

I know how bad I’ve been;

    my sins are staring me down.

You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen

    it all, seen the full extent of my evil.

You have all the facts before you;

    whatever you decide about me is fair.

I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,

    in the wrong since before I was born.

What you’re after is truth from the inside out.

    Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,

    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.

Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,

    set these once-broken bones to dancing.

Don’t look too close for blemishes,

    give me a clean bill of health.

God, make a fresh start in me,

    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Don’t throw me out with the trash,

    or fail to breathe holiness in me.

Bring me back from gray exile,

    put a fresh wind in my sails!

Give me a job teaching rebels your ways

    so the lost can find their way home.

Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,

    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.

Unbutton my lips, dear God;

    I’ll let loose with your praise.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you,

    a flawless performance is nothing to you.

I learned God-worship

    when my pride was shattered.

Heart-shattered lives ready for love

    don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Make Zion the place you delight in,

    repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls.

Then you’ll get real worship from us,

    acts of worship small and large,

Including all the bulls

    they can heave onto your altar!

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Practice

Repent 

The season of Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday, a day when many receive ashen crosses on their foreheads as a reminder that, because of sin, we’re all going to die: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. However, “the ashes are not just a reminder of our great failure; they remind us of God’s victory over sin and death through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son” (Esau McCaulley).

This week, take time to repent. Repentance begins with humility, acknowledging your shortcomings with honesty. As you pray, ask God to show you what is true about yourself. What are the things that you still need healing and freedom from? Offer them to God.

Repentance ends in love. Receive God’s love and forgiveness. If you need some convincing, meditate on Ephesians 1:3-8:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

As one loved and forgiven, ask God if he would like you to respond in any way. Fasting is common during Lent. Do you sense God is inviting you to give anything up? Or maybe he’s asking you to pick something up. Share and pray with others about what you sense God is inviting you to do. Lent starts tomorrow, but there’s no need to rush. Keep praying and listening and let the Holy Spirit lead you into this season of repentance and renewal.

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White As Snow

Listen to this song. Seriously. Just do it.

Weekly Practice 2/2/26

Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.

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Scripture

Luke 22:42 NLT

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

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Practice

“Learn of Jesus Christ to pray”

In Gethsamane, on the cusp of betrayal and death, Jesus prays a simple, profound prayer. Knowing he is loved by the Father, he plainly asks to be spared the torture of the cross, but only if it is the God’s will. Jesus prays with confidence, honesty, and trust.

This week, try to pray like Jesus. If you struggle with accepting God’s love, start by asking the Father to show you how much he cares for you and for the ability to receive it. If you tend to pray safe, “sanitized” prayers, ask God for the boldness to share with him what you really think and feel. If praying “Your will be done” feels phony or risky, ask Him to increase your faith in his competence and goodness.

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As promised

Here are the songs quoted yesterday: 

• “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” Loretta Lynn (original)

• “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” David Crowder Band (cover)

• “Go To Dark Gethsemane” Trinity Music

Weekly Practice 2/2/26

Make every effort to do or reflect upon this week’s practice with others.

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Scripture

Matthew 6:7-13 MSG

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best—

    as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

    Yes. Yes. Yes.

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Practice

Just Ask

This week, ask God to address your seen and unseen needs. The things that keep you up at night, and those things on the edge of your mind that you’re barely aware of. He is good and he is wise. He sees you and your circumstances, and all that complexity, with utterly clarity. He knows better than you what you need. So, just ask.

Here’s a helpful adaptation of the Lord’s prayer from Richard Foster’s aptly named book, Prayer:

Dear Father, I don’t want to treat you like Santa Claus, but I do need to ask things of you. Give me, please, food to eat today. I’m not asking for tomorrow, but I am asking for today. Please forgive me for the infinite offenses to your goodness that I have committed today… this hour. I’m not even aware of most of them. I live too unaware. That in itself is a sin against heaven. I’m sorry. Increase my awareness.

And in my ignorance if I have asked for things that would really be destructive, please, do not give them to me—do not lead me into temptation. Do protect me from the evil one. 

For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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And speaking of adaptations

Here’s a lovely song based on the Anima Christi, the prayer I shared last week.