Wycliffe World Day of Prayer - 11 November 2021

A small town sits in front of the Mianzimu mountain peak. Photo: Marc Ewell

Prayer Resources

 

Be Still Exercise

Our thanks to Karen Block from Wycliffe Canada for sharing this exercise.

Introduction:

This is a simple yet powerful spiritual practice that helps us become present through the practice of  stillness and silence. Ps 46:10 can lead us into being present to ourselves and to God. Choose the amount of time you want to spend - you may wish to start with 5 minutes. Set your alarm so that you can relax into it. Pause for 30-45 seconds after each reading of the sentence as it is truncated each time.

  • You can do this for however long you want depending on time available - from a breath prayer to an hour. You can also return out of the place of being by taking each step back out to the full sentence.

Prepare:

  • Take a deep breath - hold it - release it slowly (repeat several times)
  • Stretch neck and shoulders 
  • Flex ankles
  • Take a deep breath - hold it - release it slowly (repeat several times)
  • Open your heart and mind to God - ask for his presence to protect and lead

Exercise:

Be still and know that I am God

Be still and know that I am

Be still and know

Be still

Be

Follow up:

  • Make notes about your engagement with God, if you see benefits of practicing this over time, write what God might say to you after each line.
  • There is a recorded version of this exercise you could use on Karen’s website under Resources: www.karenlblock.com.

 

Lectio Divina / The Examen

Lectio Divina and The Examen are two ancient practices for reflecting prayerfully on Scripture and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you. See 24-7prayer.com for some helpful guidelines: 
Lectio Divina
The Examen

 

Lament

Lament is a prayer of complaint. It is not grumbling behind God’s back but bringing our pain and sadness to God to release them into his care.

A lament typically involves the following stages:

  • Turning to God and expressing a complaint or pain 
  • Telling God what you would like him to do for you
  • Expressing trust in God based on his character and past experience of his goodness even though the reason for lament is still present.

There are many psalms of lament. One way of lamenting is simply to read a psalm of lament to God. Alternatively use a psalm of lament as a model and adapt it to your own circumstances. Finally you could write your own lament or give space for each person in the room to write a lament.

Communal psalms of lament: Psalm 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 85, 86, 90

 

Other Resources

Many prayer resources are available on wycliffe.net and can be shared and used during the Day of Prayer (and all year long!). These include prayer items, videos and prayer guides.

Additional prayer resources can be found at the following websites:

Find more prayer videos at:

Prayer videos: These three prayer videos offer colourful and informative insights on each country and include prayers of people from those countries. Join with them:

Other stories:

Hospitality, Events Teams Adjust to COVID Cancellation

Displaced Cameroonians Find Solace in Translated Scripture

Rethinking Consultancy: Pandemic Accelerates Virtual Checking

Europe Communications Forum Goes Global 

‘YWAM has people’ … and a big vision 

Recalled: Purpose in the Pandemic 

Every Sign Matters: A Japanese Sign Language Story 

 

Click to return to:

02/2024 Global

Looking ahead at 2024

As the year unfolds, we marvel at the work of God in our rapidly changing world. And, we look forward to a number of gatherings and conversations intended to draw us together.

Read more

01/2024 Americas

Telling the Bible's Story

It may come as a surprise that a museum is among the Wycliffe Global Alliance organisations.

Read more

12/2023 Asia, Philippines

Seeing God through the Old Testament Lens

Having successfully completed the New Testament in 2009, the Kinaray-a speaking people, in partnership with the Translators Association of the Philippines, discover God more as they translate the Old Testament.

Read more