Did you know that JOY is associated with reading and praying with scripture? The Word of God promises a deep spiritual joy in interacting with God via His Word. Join the podcast today as we cover the pleasures found in the Word of God and how to use the Word as a Sword of the Spirit to protect your mind and emotions from attacks of the evil one.
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Deep Spiritual JOY
- Happy in Psalm 1 (ASRAI in Hebrew) more closely means—a deep spiritual joy (Ross, A. P. (2011).
- The BENEFIT is the deep, joyous pleasure and satisfaction that will come when you listen to the Lord in verses of Scripture and interact with Him around the verses.
Four Stages of Prayer
- In The Armchair Mystic, Rev. Mark Thibodeaux describes four stages of prayer, summarized as: Talking at God, Talking to God. Listening to God speak in Scripture daily and Resting in God’s presence,
- Stage 4 is the goal.
Joy and Healing
- Another benefit of reading and praying God’s word: HEALING
- Basil the Great said: “The Holy Spirit composed the Scriptures so that in them, as in a pharmacy open to all souls, we might each of us be able to find the medicine suited to our own particular illness… (Spidlik, T., & Drake, P. (1993).
WRAP – Simplified Lectio Divina for Reading and Praying with Scripture
- WRAP is an acronym for reading, praying, and reflecting on Scripture, and it works best if you journal what you hear (from WRAP Yourself in Scripture, a book by Karen & Larry Dwyer, Institute of Priestly Formation,
- WRAP aims to foster a personal encounter with Jesus in the Scriptures so that the words come alive and you hear God speak to YOUR HEART.
- It’s a form of Lectio Divina— which the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines as reading to hear God speak to you and meditating on His Words so that it becomes your prayer (CCC 1177).
WRAP Method
- W: Write down the verse that inspires you or seems to arise out of the passage.
- R: Reflect on the principles/ ideas the verse is inspiring in you & record your thoughts. (Mull Over, Mentally Picture, Mutter, & Memorize.)
- A: Apply the principles. Write down your response to the Scripture & how it applies to your life today.
- P: Pray and praise. Talk with Jesus about what the verse opened in your heart.
The Sword of the Spirit
- In Ephesians 6:17, Paul calls the Word the Sword of the Spirit.
- The Roman soldier carried his sword in his belt (or girdle).
- The Romans employed two types of swords: the “rpomphaia” (Revelation 1,2), a large, long, and broad sword that took two hands to wield, and the “makchaira” ( Ephesians 6: 17), a short 6” to 18” sharp and piercing dagger for hand-to-hand combat.
A Formidable and Sure Defense
- Hebrews 4:12 describes the WORD of God as “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, …able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- The Word brings truth where there is falsehood, light where there is darkness, and joy where there is sorrow. Psalm 119: 11, 105
- Luke 4: 1-13 shows Jesus using the Word of God in defense all three times.
- We can speak the Scriptures to help us stand firm against temptations, discouragement, fear, or other attack on our faith.
An Offensive Weapon
- You can hide God’s Word in your heart to help identify and reject sin and strengthen your inner person.
- When you share the Word with someone—especially a word that deeply moved you—it is a sword that pierces another’s heart.
Personal Reflection: Sword of the Spirit Declarations
- You can WIELD THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT with these Declarations from God’s Word:
- I will love and read God’s Word daily (Psalm 119: 11, NRSVCE).
- The Word of God is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119: 105, NRSVCE).
- The Word of God is my defensive weapon as Jesus showed in his fight with the evil one (Matthew 4:10-11, NRSVCE).
- When I gently share the Word of God with others, I can be confident that God’s Word is “living and active (Hebrews 4:12, NRSVCE).
Cup of JOY Women
Consider hosting a weekly one-hour cup of Joy women’s small group study accompanying this podcast. It’s free! The next opportunity if for Advent JOY.
- Pray about accepting this opportunity to engage others and gently evangelize a small group of friends over coffee or tea. Read more on hosting a Cup of Joy women’s small group.
- For information, please email karen@wrapyourselfinjoy.com
Links
- Download bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: wrapyourselfinjoy.com.
- Check out more podcasts here!
- Click here for the book Wrap Yourself in Joy: find the Joy, fight the Fear.
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