Day 30 - Forming in Peace

The spiritual practice for today is praying Scripture. There is a security in the prayers that have been set before us in the Holy Scriptures, and that security can give us peace for each new day.  Choose one of the scripture passages below (or you can select both) and make the prayers a personal confession to God. Pray the scripture in the morning, in the afternoon, and before bedtime. Prayer doesn’t always have to sound formal; it can be a tender conversation between you and God the Father. For the Lord’s prayer, you will notice that I changed the first-person pronoun from plural to singular to make the prayer even more personal (“our” becomes “my,” “we” becomes “I/me”).

The Lord’s Prayer
 
"My Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give me today the food I need,
and forgive me of my sins,
as I forgive those who sin against me.
And don’t let me yield to temptation,
but rescue me from the evil one."

• Matthew 6: 9-13 (New Living Translation)

 
The Shepherd’s Prayer
 
"The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
He leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to His name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever."

• Psalm 23: 1-6 (New Living Translation)