Drawing Closer to God
A couple years ago, in a conversation with my pastor, Pastor Alan Johnson, I asked some questions about faith. He shared with me the concept of spiritual formation and how it might be helpful in my own spiritual journey. What I experienced next was way beyond all my expectations.
Although I was baptized and confirmed in a Lutheran Church, as an adult, I stopped attending church regularly. After going through some challenging times in 2015, however, I came back to Jesus, accepting him as my Lord and Savior. I have since been an active member of the churches I attend, most recently at Regeneration Church in Sammamish, Washington. I now attend Lutheran Brethren Seminary and have been preaching occasionally.
Since that first discussion with Pastor Alan, I have sought out instruction in spiritual formation, through information sessions at our church and one-on-one sessions with a spiritual director. I also took a class at LBS with Pastor Alan as the instructor. Since starting to incorporate spiritual formation practices into my daily life, I have started seeing God at work in all aspects of my life, and it has improved my relationships with those close to me.
Prayer
Spiritual formation study has taught me different forms of prayer, helping me to focus on God and to see how he is working in my life. Before I started intentionally practicing these prayer techniques, I would lose focus and become distracted during my prayer time. We can easily get stuck in our daily routines, including in our prayer life. Changing our prayer habits, and anticipating God’s leading, is exciting. I’ve been looking to see where God is showing up in my life, and have developed a deeper, more meaningful, prayer life.
Lectio Divina is a practice of meditative Scripture reading and prayer. I found a mobile app which guides listeners through prayers focused on specific Scripture passages. During one of the guided prayers, the guide talked about Moses living in the desert. They explained how Moses first needed to be in the desert before he could lead his people out of the desert. I thought of my own journey and how God is using my challenging past to help mentor others in recovery. I was shown how my suffering isn’t wasted, but, rather, how God is using it to help others.
The prayer of Examen is a practice of spending time at the end of the day considering where you have felt God’s presence and how you responded. This practice of reflection has helped me make improvements in areas of my life so I can live more effectively for God’s Mission.
Direction
My spiritual director and I discussed the practice of goal setting as a part of daily devotions. It made me realize that I had separated these two practices, as if life planning was all about my will and not God’s. Now, I bring all my goals and desires for my life to God in prayer and intentionally reflect on where he is leading me. This process places God at the center of my life as I set these ambitions at the foot of the cross, yielding to his will for my life.
Love
During one of our conversations, I shared with my spiritual director some of the difficulties I was having with someone very close to me. I was feeling frustrated and judgmental toward them. We spent some time in silence, listening for God’s direction. I felt God placing one word on my heart: Love. We discussed how we are called to love each other, not judge each other. Going forward, I tried to focus on love instead of judgment. The result has been a closer, more loving relationship with the individual.
Sometimes in life you are not sure what you are looking for, but as you set out on an adventure, you somehow find exactly what you need. Learning about different spiritual formation techniques has provided me with new and effective ways to draw closer to God. I realized that he is with me in all parts of my life! All I had to do was pay attention. This realization has drawn me closer to God, and I am now more grateful for all his blessings.
Scott Bechtel was an elder at Regeneration Church in Sammamish, WA. He has since returned home to Minnesota to care for his mother. He attends Lutheran Church of the Master in Brooklyn Center, MN.