Amy Boucher Pye

Category: Prayer Exercise

  • Praying with the Bible: Colossians 3

    Image: text of "The life-giving practice of praying with the Bible"

    Praying with the Bible roots us deeply in God’s word. This is the first topic—the first way to pray—I engage with in my forthcoming book, 7 Ways to Pray. Here’s an exercise of praying with the Bible through a text from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It’s rich with meaning and one that Dallas Willard recommended that we memorize. I’ve started memorizing it and got about halfway through before I’ve stalled. Maybe that’s something I could pick up again!

    Why not take some time to pray through this text, personalizing it and examining it this way and that. You might want to do this over several days. The text appears below in the NIV, and underneath it, I’ve added some of my own prayers based on it.

    1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

    5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

    12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

    15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

    Lord, I come to you with thankfulness for how you’ve created me. I praise you for your faithfulness and love. Come now through your Holy Spirit and help me to pray. Thank you for your word, which gives me life and truth. Make it come alive to me, that I might know you better and share your love more faithfully.

    Lord God, I ask that you’d help me to set my heart on you. Not, Lord, on earthly things. It’s so easy to look at the things of this earth and get bogged down in them. Or even to glory in them, for you have made them with such care and beauty. But you are there, Christ, seated at the right hand of God. You call me to think on heavenly things. To know that this earth is not all that there is. I’m so grateful that through your Spirit I’ve died to my old self, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. And I know that when Christ comes, who is my life, then I’ll appear with him in glory. Alleluia!

    Help me put to death whatever belongs to my earthly nature – sexual immorality, lust, greed. These actions are idolatry, and because of them, I know the wrath of God will come. I say with Paul that I used to walk in these ways in the life I once lived. But now I know that I must rid myself of all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from my lips. Lord, these are things that come easily to me, and I repent and say sorry for the ways I let my mouth take over. For the ways I rage and lose my temper. Forgive me please. I know too that I shouldn’t lie to anyone else, for I’ve taken off my old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which you renew in knowledge in the image of you, God, my creator. There’s no division between people for Christ is all, and is in all. No division! No divide based on class or race. No inner group or newbies. Christ is all and is in all. Christ is all!

    I know therefore that as God’s chosen person, one who is holy and dearly loved, I put on the clothes of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. I put these on, Lord. I put on the cloak of compassion, which you will help to ooze out of me when I see someone in need or hurting. The hat of kindness, that I might notice others instead of being wrapped up in myself. The sweater of humility, that I might be willing to give of myself to others, seeing them as your daughters and sons. The trousers of patience – please, I pray, slow down my eager legs. The gloves of gentleness, to spread your loving touch.

    Help me to forgive as you’ve forgiven me. And over all of these virtues, I clothe myself in your love. I shower in love. I wrap myself in love. You are love and you fill me with love. Bind me together with my fellow sisters and brothers in perfect unity.

    Let the peace of Christ rule in my heart, for you’ve called me to peace. I am thankful, Lord, for the amazing ways you’ve worked in my heart and mind.

    Let your message, Christ, dwell among us richly today. Help me to teach and admonish others in your name, with wisdom, through gratitude and song. Help me to do whatever I do in your word and deed, all in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to you.

  • My burden is light

    Come, beloved,
    I know you’re tired.
    I know you’re weary.
    I know you’re burdened.

    Come. I’ll give you rest.

    Here’s my yoke—
    take it and learn from me.
    You know I’m gentle,
    caring, and humble.
    You’ll find rest;
    Rest for your soul.

    My yoke is easy—
    you’re constrained under it
    but I bear the load.
    My burden is light—
    I do the heavy lifting.

    © Amy Boucher Pye; after Matthew 11:28–30

  • New Lent resource: The Prayers of Jesus

    Looking for resources for Lent? Looking for someone to give a talk on the prayers of Jesus during Lent?

    I’ve written an interactive small-group resource for Lent called The Prayers of Jesus, published by CWR (Waverley Resources) in which we explore 6 of the 7 prayers of Jesus in the gospels. It gives you the tools for leading the session, such as prayers, activities, background on the particular prayer of Jesus, discussion questions, and a prayer activity for the group.

    I’m really excited about it because I’m excited about the prayers of Jesus! I’m especially thrilled that I was able to add the prayer activities to this format, for when we make time to pray together, we find that God responds in amazing ways.

    Would you like me to zoom into your meeting/service during Lent to give a talk? I have a limited number of spaces available. I’m not charging a fee to come but I’d be grateful if I could supply the booklets to your small groups. Contact me if you’re interested.

    The resource goes for £6 each. Here’s my discount plan:

    • 1-6 copies, 16% discount, £5 each plus postage
    • 7-9 copies, 21% discount £4.75 each plus postage
    • 10 or more, 25% discount, £4.50 each plus postage

    With postage to the UK:

    • 1 = £6.53
    • 2 = £11.99
    • 3 = £16.99
    • 4 = £22.70
    • 5 = £27.70
    • 6 = £33
    • 7 = £36.25
    • 8 = £41
    • 9 = £45.75
    • 10 = £48
    • (above 10 contact me)

    If you’re not in the UK, I am happy to explore options, but postage might be prohibitive.

  • How can I hear God?

    How can I hear God?

    It’s a perennial question, and one that I explore in 7 Ways to Pray, my book coming out this autumn. Yesterday I had a delightful little experience of hearing God that helps in pondering how God speaks to his children.

    Yesterday was a bit of a mess—and today will be too, I fear. I woke this morning and looked over to the clock but it wasn’t lit up, meaning that half of the house is without electricity. Including the hot water and heat (please do pray that we can get an electrician in to sort it out today!). Yesterday the electrics went out yesterday twice, and both times the desktop computer I was using died (but thankfully I didn’t lose too much work). Of course the wifi router is plugged into the half of the house shrouded in darkness. Then last night one of the kids’ beds broke, so we had to disassemble it and put the guest bed in there until we can get another one.

    The hassles of life, right? We all know and experience them. But the timing for these hassles isn’t great as I need to submit the rewrites on my two books this week and next.

    So in the backdrop of these distractions and the kids trying to stream online school with wifi that was going out and me being on a couple of video calls and also trying to make lots of progress on the rewriting, I wasn’t anticipating receiving from God my word for the year (a spiritual practice I write about here). But that’s what happened, to my delight. Hearing God can take us by surprise—we don’t control the experience but when we keep our ears and hearts open to God, we put ourselves in a position to receive.

    I had an article published with Our Daily Bread yesterday, and thus was interacting on their website with the comments about the article. One of the comments was this:

    My daughter felt God leading her to get a tattoo of the word ABIDE. The woman doing the tattoo asked what that meant and she was able to tell her redemption story! May Your children all abide in You, Lord. Let us tell Your story of love and grace! Amen.

    As I replied I had a flash of insight:

    Abide is such a good word. We abide in Christ; we abide in His word. Hmmm… thank you! Maybe this is to be my word for the year! I’m going to pray about that!

    I asked God for confirmation, but I also sensed within a quick yes, abide is my word for 2021. It was a deep feeling of knowing that this was God’s answer. I hadn’t set out to hear God on this yesterday; it was his gift of love. But since the beginning of the year I have been expectant, wondering when God might answer my desire.

    How do you communicate with God? Does my experience resonate with you?

    One of the chapters in 7 Ways to Pray explores hearing God. I will be sharing more about the release of this book in my monthly newsletter. To receive it, click here.

  • The Lord is my Surgeon

    I love personalizing Psalm 23 according to what I’m going through. You can see various examples in this post about the Lord as my Teacher, with links to other examples too.

    This rendition is perhaps the most personal as I get my hip replaced! Thank you to all those who have sent encouraging comments and who are praying for me and my family. I’m so grateful.

    The Lord is my surgeon, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in a hospital bed,
he leads me to a clean environment,
    he repairs my body.
He guides me to just the right medical care
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I enter
    the scary sterile theatre,
I will fear no complications,
    for you are with me;
your scalpel and your saw,
    they comfort me.
You prepare a tray of nourishing food
    in the presence of my medical team.
You wrap me in bandages;
    my body is safe.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days in my life,
and I will dwell in the healing house of the Lord
    forever.

After Psalm 23
(c) 2020 Amy Boucher Pye

  • Finding hope in crisis: Free ebook

    We live in unprecedented times. You may feel you have more space to engage with God or you might feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you feel both eager to meet with God and then flat-out tired and listless in the same day.

    If you have some time and energy, consider journeying with Abraham and Sarah over a two-week period through my free ebook.* These founders of our faith lived with uncertainty and change as they left their home and their family and community to follow God’s call. We can find hope in God through walking with them.

    Each day you are invited to consider part of their story out of Genesis, followed by some reflections and an interactive prayer exercise.

    I hope and pray God will meet you in amazing and comforting ways as we celebrate Easter and rejoice in God breaking the power of death and sin through his Son’s sacrifice on the cross and resurrection.

    God is with you in these hard and good times!

    *Free ebbok when you sign up to my monthly mailing list. You of course will be able to cancel the mailing list if you wish later.

  • Jesus’ last week: A guide to prayer

    We’ve arrived at Holy Week, ushered in yesterday on Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. As I outline in my book, The Living Cross, one way to approach Holy Week is to consider each day what Jesus experienced, being conscious throughout the day of the unfolding events. I compiled the following based on what I found in Michael J. Wilkins, The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (Zondervan, 2004), pp. 
709–10.

    Saturday (8 April)

    Palm Sunday (9 April)

    Monday (10 April)

    Tuesday (11 April)

    Wednesday (12 April)

    Thursday (13 April)

    Good Friday (14 April)

    Holy Saturday (15 April)

    • (Waiting.)

    Resurrection Sunday (16 April)

  • How to Keep a Spiritual Journal: A Treasure Trove of God’s Love

    DSCN6607This article originally appeared in Woman Alive in January 2014, and I presented its contents at All That We Are, the Woman Alive/BRF retreat at the Christian Resources Exhibition in May 2013. The next Woman Alive/BRF day will be 6 June 2015 in Woking. Join us!

    “I hate my life.”

    “Why am I so stupid?”

    “Will I ever have a boyfriend?”

    Sentiments like that – and a lot worse – used to fill my journals in my teens and early twenties. Angst, fear, bitterness – I would let rip in my personal diary, not realizing the damage I inflicted as I wallowed in my pain.

    Then in my mid-twenties I edited Leanne Payne’s Listening Prayer: Learning to Hear God’s Voice and Keep a Prayer Journal. She gave me the tools to turn my former depository of self-hatred into a spiritual treasure trove of love and affirmation. I threw away my old journals and dedicated my new, floral ring-binder to be a place for conversation with God. At the time I was also learning to receive God’s love and forgiveness; I would take my angst and pain to Jesus on the cross, confess any sins, then wait to receive God’s love and release. My new spiritual journal echoed these practices of sloughing off the old self and embracing the new. I was a new creation!

    Twenty years later, I can’t imagine not keeping a spiritual journal. It’s the place where I am most open and free with God, telling him my deepest dreams, longings and fears. Here I praise and adore him; here I confess my wrongs and how sorry I am; here I intercede for those known to me; here I ask him to lead and guide and help me. And, importantly, here I stop the chatter and silence myself, poised to hear his still, small voice. Here he calls me his beloved.

    Previous incarnations of spiritual journals - I used to love the girly flowery books.
    Previous incarnations of spiritual journals – I used to love the girly flowery books.

    Although I can’t imagine life without a spiritual journal, I know this practice isn’t for everyone – my husband, for instance. I don’t want to inflict guilt on those for whom it’s a chore or a shame-inducing exercise. Not everyone likes to write; we need to find what fits our personalities best. But if you like words and want to dedicate yourself to this practice in the new year, here are some tips for keeping a spiritual journal.

    Practicalities

    A pretty pattern used to adorn my journal, but now I type into a special file on my laptop. I open a new file each day, organized in monthly folders, categorized by year. You might prefer the tactile feeling of ink on paper, especially in a wonderful leather-jacketed journal. Experiment with different formats until you find what suits you.

    Privacy

    One of my most important pieces of advice is guard your privacy. Find someone who will agree to destroy – without reading them – your journals when you die or are incapacitated. We hold ourselves back from being unvarnished with God when we think someone might stumble on our secrets. If we’re constantly looking over our shoulders, wondering what our audience thinks of us, we curtail the freedom God wants us to enjoy. We will share the treasures mined from our journals through our personal ministries, whatever those may be, but we’ll be handing out the jewels as gifts rather than letting thieves steal and destroy. Keep your treasure chest closed and locked.

    Content

    What shall we put into our journals? You will find your own best practice. Leanne Payne outlines six areas, including God’s word, praise and thanksgiving, intercession, petition, forgiveness. Or a simple format is ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. Let’s explore these four areas.

    Adoration

    Taking the time to praise God lifts us out of ourselves and our concerns. Praising God can change our outlook – we can become infused with joy and peace as we echo King David’s psalms or think about a special hymn or song. When we feel dry spiritually, praising God might be more of an act of the will than of our feelings.

    Confession

    I was raised Roman Catholic, so I don’t find confession foreign. But we don’t need to confess to a priest (although some find that helpful); we can tell the Lord what we’ve done or those things we’ve left undone. As I said above, we can take them to the cross and there receive forgiveness. I find that writing out my sins forces me to be specific.

    Thanksgiving

    Having a special thanksgiving section gives us a rich record of God’s goodness. Naming what we’re thankful for can change our whole outlook and demeanor, as Ann Voskamp details in One Thousand Gifts. She started a gratitude journal, writing down 1000 things she appreciated. It opened her eyes to the mercies she might have otherwise missed: a bumblebee perched on a lavender flower; the sound of the breeze in the trees; the smile of a child.

    Supplication

    God our heavenly Father wants us to ask of him. He invites us to bring to him our supplications – our requests – whether for ourselves or for others. Just as a good parent longs to hear what’s on their child’s heart, so the Lord invites us to approach him with our needs – whether big or small. We can set goals with him. We can share our dreams and see him cup them safely in his hand.

    I don't write my journals by hand anymore...
    I don’t write my journals by hand anymore…

    My practice

    I try to incorporate ACTS into my devotions. Most often I will read through a book of the Bible, focusing on a chapter each day. As I chew it over, a verse or two usually pops out and I sense the Holy Spirit leading. Those verses I write out so that they can sink into my being. I turn them into a prayer, speaking them back to the Lord with different words. That leads to me express what’s on my heart, whether praise of God’s goodness and faithfulness; a buried longing; hurts and irritations I need release from; prayers of thanks.

    And then I stop and wait for God’s still, small voice. I wait for any words of love and affirmation; of direction and leading. Some days, all I seem to need to hear is, “I love you.”

    Benefits

    So why keep a prayer journal? Three reasons in closing:

    It’s a safe outlet for our feelings.

    Here we can be totally honest and give to God any bitterness, shame, fear or pain. We can receive God’s love with feeling awkward or self-conscious.

    It becomes a spiritual treasure trove.

    Once a year, usually around New Year’s, I reread my year of journals and note down the “spiritual highlights.” This exercise reveals what I’ve been most struggling with or rejoicing over throughout the year. I see where God has answered prayer and which requests I’m still holding before him. I see his direction, love and leading.

    It’s a tactile record of daily life.

    Our journals provide an amazing snapshot of what’s going on, not only our inner life but the daily stuff of life – which friend is hurting or parent ailing or child succeeding. When we reread journals from years ago, we can smell the frying bacon or hear the sand washing up on shore. Long-hidden memories come flooding back.

    Might you consider keeping a spiritual journal? If so, let me close with a prayer:

    Father God, thank you that you’ve created us and spoken life into us. That you long to converse with us. Help us to find just the right mode of communication, that we might implement a spiritual practice to aid our growth in maturity and love for you. May we put aside the rags of the old self and embrace the royal robes you have created just for us as children of the King. Amen.

  • Praying about the weather – yes or no?

    Rain. More rain. Here in the UK we’ve just had the wettest January since records started in 1910, and as I sit, I watch it rain even more. Communities are sodden in Somerset; in Devon, the tide has washed away the rail track.

    Our water stores are full. The drought of two years ago, with its hosepipe bans (hosepipe – as an American I find that word delightful and quirky) and fears of wildfires, seems a long time ago. As I took the train from London to Oxford last week I saw swollen rivers and sitting water. We’ve been drenched.

    After the rain - Holy Island Causeway
    After the rain – Holy Island Causeway

    Even the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, has called for a prayer campaign to stop the rain, saying: “Lord, we’ve had enough.” They published a prayer to the patron saint of weather, St Medard, by Revd Sue Evans, Vicar of St Medard, Little Bytham, Linconshire:

    Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the gift of water, and in many parts of the world we know people suffer and die for lack of rain.

    But dear Lord – we’ve had enough. We ask you please that the rain may stop soon. We pray for all those people and animals suffering from floods.

    As St Medard needed protection from the rain, so now do many people from our land.

    For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

    Do you pray about the weather? Inspired by Agnes Sanford, a pioneer of the healing-prayer ministry, I do. When I edited Leanne Payne’s wonderful spiritual autobiography, Heaven’s Calling, I learned more about Agnes, for Leanne knew her well.

    Stirred to pray for the healing of the earth, Agnes moved from New England to California, to live on the San Andreas Fault and pray for its healing. She reveled in nature, marveling at a the genetic makeup of a seashell or speaking lovingly to a rattlesnake that lived in her back garden, but respected her boundaries. When once Leanne visited Agnes and they were praying in the garden, she remembered the rattlesnake story and said, “I am definitely not where you are in regards to your snake.” But Agnes put her at her ease, and they weren’t troubled by the rattlesnake – or the forest fire that was below them (about which Agnes prayed for rain, like Elijah, and it came!). These stories are all in Heaven’s Calling, page 252–57, which I highly recommend.

    I’m aware this might be outside your comfort zone! But if God is the Creator, and he made us to communicate with him, why wouldn’t he want us to pray for the healing of his earth?

    What do you think?

  • Rapping to the Lord’s Prayer

    Last Sunday I led the group for 11-12 year olds at our church. I have to admit that kids’ ministry has never felt like something I’ve been called to. Nothing against kids, of course. I love my two dearly. But I’ve always been so keen on discipleship for adults that I’ve bypassed the younger set.

    DSCN5929

    But these budding nearly teens are a wonderful bunch. Filled with great questions and strong opinions. I have to check my church jargon at the door and remember to keep it real and authentic. And I come away glad to have been a part of their discussions.

    So on Sunday we were looking at Acts 4, all about how the once-frightened Peter, who betrayed Jesus those three times, was now bold and winsome and filled with the Holy Spirit as he and John explained their actions to the religious leaders and defended the new thing God was doing. One of our activities was to explore some of the Scripture in rap form, courtesy of Scripture Union. We read the two raps aloud, jiving and moving to the beat. Then, to my surprise, we wrote our own.

    Now I should stress that I didn’t think we’d have success in this exercise – group writing and all of that. I thought it would be beyond us. But lo and behold, we put down the first line, and then the next, and the next. And a rap was born. Okay, so it’s more of a lyrical poem than a rap, but here, for your reading pleasure, is the Lord’s Prayer rendered by us (best read aloud):

    Dad up above!

    Awesome is your name

    Your city breaking in

    We’re following your way

    Here on the ground

    As up above.

    Can you give us our grub

    And free us from our mess

    As we free others who screw us up.

    Please hold us back from doing bad

    And keep us far away

    From the angel who fell.

    Cause yours is the city

    And yours is the force;

    You simply are the best

    Each and every day.

    Oh yeah!

    © 2013 Regina Baidoo, Amy Boucher Pye, Helen Fox

    So tell me: are you called to ministry to children? If so, what are the rewards and the challenges?

    How about writing a biblical rap? Share it in the comments!