Complete Joy
Pittman, Lauren Wright. Complete Joy, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57075 [retrieved November 12, 2021]. Original source: http://www.lewpstudio.com - copyright by Lauren Wright Pittman.
Spiritual Practices: Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina, or Diving Reading, is a method of reading, reflecting on, and praying the Scripture that has been used by the church for centuries. It focuses on communing with God in Scripture rather than simply studying Scripture for intellectual understanding. Click here for more information on how to practice Lectio Divina. Here are some suggested verses in this passage that may lend themselves to conversation with God through the practice of Lectio Divina.
Suggested Verses
There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
(1 Samuel 2:2)
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
(1 Samuel 2:5)
Lectio Divina, or Diving Reading, is a method of reading, reflecting on, and praying the Scripture that has been used by the church for centuries. It focuses on communing with God in Scripture rather than simply studying Scripture for intellectual understanding. Click here for more information on how to practice Lectio Divina. Here are some suggested verses in this passage that may lend themselves to conversation with God through the practice of Lectio Divina.
Suggested Verses
There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
(1 Samuel 2:2)
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
(1 Samuel 2:5)
Spiritual Practices: Breath Prayer
Overview
God remembered Hannah and gave her a son. All of a sudden, Hannah's heart was restored. She had been vindicated and her shame was taken away. In this chapter she prays a prayer of rejoicing and celebration. She starts out exclaiming, "My heart exults in the Lord." When God moves in our lives, in big ways or in little ones, it is appropriate, like Hannah, to celebrate what God has done. That is what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Start by thinking about something that God has done for you. It can be something recent or something a little farther in the past. It can be something big or something small. Whatever you choose, fix it in your mind and then spend the next several minutes repeating the following breath prayer.
Almighty God, my heart celebrates you.
Overview
God remembered Hannah and gave her a son. All of a sudden, Hannah's heart was restored. She had been vindicated and her shame was taken away. In this chapter she prays a prayer of rejoicing and celebration. She starts out exclaiming, "My heart exults in the Lord." When God moves in our lives, in big ways or in little ones, it is appropriate, like Hannah, to celebrate what God has done. That is what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Start by thinking about something that God has done for you. It can be something recent or something a little farther in the past. It can be something big or something small. Whatever you choose, fix it in your mind and then spend the next several minutes repeating the following breath prayer.
Almighty God, my heart celebrates you.