Week 1- Spiritual Practice

Commit to a spiritual practice

1. What is the barrier in your life that keeps God out of your suffering?  Set aside some time this week to bring your pain before God.  Allow yourself to cry out, “I am lost.  I am hurting.  I am dying here” and then let God remove the pain or heal the suffering.  Let God hold you until you feel that the work is complete.  Write a prayer of gratitude in your journal.
2. Spend 15 minutes a day in the Psalms.  Search for the word “cry.”  When you find the word, read the verses around to set the context, i.e., crying out to God, crying in agony, crying out for others who suffer, and then write a prayer in your journal on behalf of those who cry.
3. Who do you know who is crying out right now?  How can you be part of their healing on behalf of God?  This week, if there is a need that pops up in front of you, fill it, whether the task is helping to paint a room, grocery shopping, or sitting with a child so the parents can get a much-needed break.  When you’re in a restaurant, you could leave a 30% tip with a note that says, “Thanks for doing such a great job serving me,” or pay anonymously for someone sitting alone who looks a little sad, or turn to the person behind you in the line at the coffee shop and ask, “What are you having?  This one’s on me.”