Many of us have our own rhythms for spending time with God and if yours is working, then I encourage you to keep at it. But sometimes, a change of rhythm can be helpful. Perhaps we need something deeper or more challenging or perhaps life is challenging enough, and we are struggling to spend time with God at all. It’s tempting to give up at this point so let me suggest an alternative…
There are a range of excellent resources online which work on your phone and at times when it’s a struggle to find words, a guided audio devotion might be just what you need. Here are a couple I can recommend:
- Lectio 365. This is a newish discovery for me. It is produced by a non-denominational group called 24-7 Prayer. Each day there is a morning and an evening devotion. The morning devotion follows a weekly theme and helps you unpack and respond to the scripture of the day. The evening devotion is a reflection on the day that has passed. You can find the app for free on your play store.
- Pray as You Go. This one is produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives and is based on Ignatian spirituality. It is specially designed for listening to while travelling but works just as well in your living room. Each day begins with a piece of music then a scripture passage is read, with reflective questions and space to think and pray. There are also several other prayer tools on the app, which you can find for free on your play store.
- Pause / Pray. This is not a daily resource but is a collection of guided audio reflections which can be used at any time. It is produced by the Anglican team at engage.worship. Pause / Pray doesn’t have an app but you can subscribe through Apple Podcast or Spotify, or just google their website.
If you’d like to try one of these but don’t feel technically able to set it up, I’d be very happy to help you. I’d also love to hear about any other prayer guides you have discovered.
Love to you all, Miranda.
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash