Scripture, Prayer, Song
What are we doing here?
Great question!
Scripture and the life of Jesus invite us into practices, rhythms, and habits that anchor us relationally to God and help us orient our lives with Jesus at the center. While most would agree that praying, reading Scripture, and worshiping through song are integral to faith, they also can be areas that produce frustration, feelings of failure, or even shame. We need a better way and it starts with simplicity.
The beauty here is that God isn’t primarily interested in our achievement, ‘checking the box’, or hiding from us until we read enough of the Bible — he’s after our hearts and desires. He wants to know us and be known by us.
As the world around us calls for our attention, we want to become people who regularly and intentionally pursue God and foster space in which he can speak, we can hear, and where we are transformed in his presence.
Here are some helpful tools for building habits:
Scripture
S.O.A.P
SOAP is a Scripture reading tool aimed at helping hear God speak through his Word and to personally answer the questions: “What is God saying to me?” and “What am I going to do about it?”
We recommend writing this exercise in a journal or in a digital format that you can keep track of.
Scripture:
What Scripture are you reading? What word or phrase stands out?
- Some people like to write out the verse or section they are reading as another way of digesting or processing it.
Observation:
What truth does this Scripture reveal about God? About humanity? About reality?
- Try writing in the first-person perspective: “I see how this verse shows me that God is . . .”
Application:
How do I apply this truth to my daily living? What will I do about it?
- Keep it simple. Make it practical. Big goals are great, but sometimes they get in the way of action. How does what you read change the way you live today?
Prayer:
Thank God for his revelation in Scripture and ask for the grace and courage to live out the truth of his Word.
- Try using one of the prayer tools below!
Prayer
Prayer can be overwhelming. These acronyms provide a guide and progression that help us develop a robust and dynamic life of talking with God. We like these tools because they largely follow the prayer guidance that Jesus gives his disciples in Matthew 5 (Luke 11) in what’s referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer.”
A.C.T.S
Adoration:
Start with acknowledging who God is.
Confession:
How have I tried to live outside of God’s love and design?
Thanksgiving:
What am I grateful for? What has God provided for me?
Supplication:
Asking earnestly for what I desire and need. Do I have others I am praying for as well?
P.R.A.Y.
Pause:
Slow down to notice God and step into conversation with him.
Rejoice:
Start with thanksgiving and praise. What good has God done for me?
Ask:
What do I need? What do I desire? Am I praying for others?
Yield:
Choose to submit my prayers to God who knows best and loves me. “Your will be done.”
Song
Music is a gift and it’s one of the primary ways we express worship to God. Music has been part of every culture and human society. Songs often express what we think, feel, and believe in a way that other forms of communication fall short of. As Jesus followers today, we have a wealth of songs and poems for us in Scripture and we also have the benefit of beautiful and truth-filled worship music at our fingertips that we can worship along with, privately or corporately. Worship God with a Mosaic band below.