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.

Weekly Practice 1/26/26

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

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Scriptures

Read these out loud and, if possible, with others.

Epistle to the Philippians (Yes, the whole thing. It’s not that long.)

Psalm 2 NASB

Why are the nations restless

And the peoples plotting in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand

And the rulers conspire together

Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

“Let’s tear their shackles apart

And throw their ropes away from us!”

He who sits in the heavens laughs,

The Lord scoffs at them.

Then He will speak to them in His anger

And terrify them in His fury, saying,

“But as for Me, I have installed My King

Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

“I will announce the decree of the Lord:

He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,

Today I have fathered You.

Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth as Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron,

You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

Now then, you kings, use insight;

Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with reverence

And rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,

For His wrath may be kindled quickly.

How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

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Practice

Rethinking our relationship with the Bible: Part 4

This week, watch or listen to the next episode from Practicing the Way’s “Rule of Life” podcast: Scripture 04: What’s the point of reading the Bible? Then, reflect on the following questions:

• How does reading the Bible out loud feel different from reading it silently?

• How does reading the Bible with others feel different from reading it alone?

• Do you have a favorite part of scripture, something that resonates deeply or feels especially important to you?

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Anima Christi

This prayer, probably written in the 14th century, is one we will be using over the coming weeks as we “companion Jesus to the Cross”:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, inebriate me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O Good Jesus, hear me.

Within your wounds hide me.

Permit me not to be separated from you.

From the wicked foe, defend me.

At the hour of my death, call me

and bid me come to you

That with your saints I may praise you

For ever and ever. Amen.