As Passover approaches this year I believe one way to prepare and consecrate myself to the Lord is to read through 1 & 2 Peter and learn what Peter has to say about holy living.
we will begin April 1 and read 8 verses a day
A Guide For Lectio Divina style
the four basic steps :
1. read 2. meditate 3. respond and 4. transform.
Read & Meditate – ask “what strikes me, what stands out above every other verse what is drawing my attention and sparking something in my heart?”
Respond & Transform – ask “What might God be asking me to change in my life or heart”
What might God be speaking to you today? How might he be encouraging you, instructing you or confirming something? How might God want you to change something in your life as result? What is he asking of you, to rest, obey, love forgive, hope etc…) be open to the holy spirit’s prompting.
The focus is on “I, me and myself” you are not prescribing other people or diagnosing or speaking on God’s behalf to them. There is no, “WE NEED TO DO THIS.” and definitely no condemnation for others thoughts. We seek to hold each other accountable as the body of Christ, but never condemn or judge. The point of this style of bible reading is to create a safe place for others to explore God’s word to them personally. There is rarely only one right answer or interpretation for scripture. we can seek to encourage one another and support the holy spirits work in one another’s life. This reading is about you and between you and God. Not we, he, she, they or others…but what is God saying to ME. Just because God is speaking to you doesn’t mean he is saying that same thing to someone else. It is okay if you come to different conclusions or even if you don’t see eye to eye. We can appreciate that people are seeking God in his Word and HE is able to meet us where we are and right there do more than we could ask think or hope for. He is a personal and intimate in his encounters and interactions. The holy spirit will not lead you away from scripture but always towards it.
Each day a different person will kick off the discussion by reading the text and spending time in the word and then sharing what they gleaned. This is through texting, please be aware and respectful of one another’s time. We cannot always get to respond immediate and we have different schedules, so post your comments and then be patient. The conversation shouldn’t necessarily be going on all day . this is like doing a devotion together. but sometimes someone may not be able to comment until later in the day. It’s a little bit of a adjustment.
This is not a deep dive study. This is not even a traditional study or an extensive explanation of the passages and research. The holy spirit is our teacher. God’s word our text. Keep a journal as you may have many revelations or want too do a deep dive on your own, you don’t have to share everything God shows you. Only share the one or two things God is pressing on your heart. Each day might be different. Perhaps one day a prayer is bubbling up based in the text, another day you may feel God leading you to make a specific change in your life or attitude or a general change. Another day you may be more understanding where Peter was coming from and observing the text better and then of course there are days where you are just praising and thanking God for what you are experiencing in his word. Simplicity is the word for this type of encounter with God’s word. Simple and reflective.
my faith place 