Dear Friends,

You are receiving this email because you have made a commitment to spend fifteen minutes a day, five days a week, in solitude and silence, so as to draw near to God.

I want to hear how this is going for you! Please respond to this email and tell me what you are learning, what God is saying, and how this commitment is going.

Also, who else do you know who might want to make this commitment? Forward this email to them. They can receive these emails by registering here.

I’m praying with and for all of you!

In Christ,

Jeff
Drawing Near, Week 2: Lament

General Instructions:

  1. Be patient and give yourself grace. This is new for many of us! 
  2. Decide which days and what time you will enter into solitude and silence. Consider putting these times on your calendar, and, if needed, share this commitment with those you are living with so that they can support you.
  3. Find a quiet place, free from distraction, where you can be comfortable.
  4. Consider lighting a candle so as to claim the space as “holy ground.”
  5. Begin each time by letting your spirit and mind settle, and asking God to guide your time with him.
  6. Consider keeping a journal so as to record how God is leading you.
Scripture for This Week:


* If one passage resonates with you, consider dwelling in that verse or verses for more than a day, and perhaps the whole week.
Reflection for This Week:

Each day, reflect on one or more of the following, and consider writing your thoughts down in a journal:

  1. What in your life or in our world causes you to cry out: “God, no!”?
  2. What in your life or in our world causes you to cry out: “God, why?!”?
  3. Pray for a person or a people group who you know is hurting right now, or who you know is oppressed or experiencing injustice. Use words of lament in your prayer.
  4. Identify the word or image of hope in one or more of the above passages.
  5. Write your own psalm of lament.
  6. Reflect: Does practicing lament bring hope? Why or why not?

* For more on the importance and practice of lament, read pages 6-9 of our Worship Reimagined Study Guide.
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