Written by CEDE SPORTS STAFF, Jenny Young
As we reflect on the ways we've grown in our faith over the years, this one practice has changed my faith: Learning to read the scriptures with the heart. This practice has helped me by inviting the Spirit of God to be my guide while reading. This practice allows me to read with both mind and heart, which isn't something I've practiced in it's fullness. I am still growing in this practice of learning to listen, reflect, pray and respond in obedience to what I am reading in scripture.
I learned this practice from a women's small discipleship group with four other ladies from my church. We were reading through the New Testament for a year together and began with this approach of reading with the heart. For example, we would begin with an assigned reading for the week. On the first reading, I’d read it through to get the context and the message of the passage. Then I’d read it through a second time using a New Testament Bible we were given I'd marked it up by highlight any passage that began to speak to me or that I felt was important. Then I’d do a third reading of only the highlighted sections and see if there might had been a phrase or even a word that rose to the surface in my mind and heart. Usually it will be a very brief phrase or sentence. I’d then memorize that, live with it for the day/week, and allow it to form in my heart. We would then come the following week with what we had been reading and learning from with our heart to share with group.
I continue to learn this practice of reading with the heart. It has opened up a way of listening to hear from God (not what I want to get out of it) as I read, and changing me along the way. I’m reading with the heart; reading to be transformed by God’s Word, to submit to it, and to be taught by it. I saw this quote recently on reading with the heart, "we read the Bible with our minds to see the glory of God, and with our hearts to savor the glory of God."
We would love to hear from you on simple practices that have changed your faith.
A few passages to encourage you as you consider new spiritual disciplines and practices:
"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Eph. 1:17-18
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.