Faith is such an important part of our lives as Christians. The very essence of our relationship with God is based on our faith in Jesus. We just take it on faith that He died for our sins and because of that we can be reconciled to God.

Faith and prayer are also intertwined. While I don’t pretend to understand all of the intricacies of how God uses our prayers, I am fascinated by prayer and have felt God calling me to spend some time studying the subject of faith. Might I be able to increase my faith by meditating on scriptures about it? Would God be able to use me in a bigger way if my faith were bigger? I’d like to explore those possibilities, so I’m beginning an ongoing series on faith.

Periodically, I’ll be writing blog posts about faith. You can find these under the Blog tab on our navigation bar. When you hover the cursor over this tab, you’ll see the Faith series drop down from the rest of the blogs.

I’ll post the first blog in this series this week, but for now let me leave you with this scripture to reflect upon and pray about:

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Feel free to join me on this faith journey.

Pray on!

Jane VanOsdol

One way we can grow in prayer is by learning to slow down and reflect on scripture. An ancient practice called Lectio Divina (Latin term for divine reading) helps us to do exactly that.

This practice teaches us how to focus on a passage of scripture.

• First of all, choose a passage of scripture and read it slowly several times. Write down any words or concepts that stand out to you.
• Next, meditate on the passage. Take time to let God’s Word work in your heart, concentrating on those words or concepts that stood out to you in the first step.
• Open your heart to God and talk to Him about this passage. Why did these words stand out to you? What may God be saying to you through this passage?
• Finally, contemplate how God wants you to apply this portion of scripture to your life. Are there habits you need to change? A commitment you need to make? Thank God and rest in His presence.

As we dig deeper into the scriptures, this practice will only enhance our prayer lives. Have you ever tried this practice? Let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment below. Thanks and pray on!

Thanks to Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana (www.gracecc.org) for the information on Lectio Divina.