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What is Contemplative Prayer?

...you. Psalms 62:1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;from him comes my salvation. Psalms 62:5For God alone my soul waits in silence,for my hope is from him. Isaiah 41:1Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;let the peoples renew their strength;let them approach, then let them speak;let us together draw near for judgment.   Let us not forget that the voice of God is not necessarily loud and dramatic, but a small, still voice. How can we hear if we are not still ourselves? 1 Kings 19:12After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. Psalms 46:10Be stil...

Jesus, Yahweh, And The Power Over The Storm

...ed in the Psalms and other Old Testament scriptures. The Calm in the Storm: Psalms 107:28–29 The Psalms often depict Yahweh as the sovereign Lord over creation, commanding nature with His word. Psalms 107:28–29 provides a vivid picture of this divine authority: Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,and he brought them out from their distress;he made the storm be still,and the waves of the sea were hushed. In these verses, Yahweh’s power is evident. The psalmist recounts how those in distress cry out to the LORD, and He responds by stilling the storm, bringing calm to the raging seas. This act is not just a display of power but a revelation of H...

Spiritual Disciplines of the Early Church: Ancient Practices for the 21st Century

...cally the Psalms and Gospels Singing/praying the Psalms as worship to God Both of these principles are based on Psalm 1:1–3 and Colossians 3:16. “Every Psalm brings peace, soothes the internal conflicts, calms the rough waves of evil thoughts, dissolves anger, corrects and moderates profligacy.” Commentary on Psalm 1, Basil the Great (4th century)   Prayer and Fasting Another common practice that was expected of believers was regular fasting, since Jesus had said “when you fast”, not “if”. Typically, fasting was done every week on Wednesday and Friday, based on Matthew 6:16–18, and also to honour the days of the Passion and c...

Lent, Lament and Lockdown

...en in the Psalms. At times like this of limited food and resources and job loss, we can probably relate to David when he wrote things like this: Psalms 86:1 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Psalms 102:1-2 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you. Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call. And such poetic sadness from the book dedicated to lament; Lamentations 3:16-18 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “Gone is my...

Lent: Day 15 - Justin Martyr: First Apology, Chaps. 36-47

...from the Psalms and Isaiah to show this, such as: Isaiah 50:6I gave my back to those who struck me,and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;I did not hide my facefrom insult and spitting. And, Psalms 22:17-18I can count all my bones.They stare and gloat over me;they divide my clothes among themselves,and for my clothing they cast lots. The Spirit When it is the the Spirit speaking, it appears to be prophecies which are more in the 3rd person about the Lord and what he will do. Using an example from Isaiah again, Justin gives an example of a prophecy and also goes on to explain how it has been fulfilled through Christ in the Christians who...

Lent Day 25: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 41-50

...tures? Psalms 9:6The swords of the enemy have come to an end, and you have destroyed the cities? “I have no longer a place, a weapon, a city. The Christians are spread everywhere”, Satan goes on to explain. Anthony agrees with him, rejoicing that, “the coming of Christ has made you weak, and He has cast you down and stripped you”! But on mentioning the Lord's name, Satan vanished as he could not bear to be in the presence of even the name of Jesus. So now, if even the devil himself confesses that he is weak and defeated, then we should no longer despair at the demons for we know their weakness now, and can now despise them. Let us consider in...