This is a guided prayer for the fourth week of Lent. Get your FREE lent guide here. Our meditation passage (released on 3.4.24) was Matthew 20:20-28. In this account, Jesus flips greatness on its head and unpacks the kingdom principle that the way up is really down. In this guided prayer we will take a moment to identify some of the desires we have – and realize not all our desires are bad. We will then ask the Lord to help us notice where we are tempted to try to control the outcome and...

This guided Scripture meditation for Lent leads us to consider where true greatness is found. So, what does makes someone great? Power. Influence. Authority. Wealth. Accomplishments. We know these things don’t really make us great, yet we still desire them. We still strive after them. And we even convince ourselves we will use all this greatness for the good of the Kingdom. And then, Jesus flips greatness upside down. The way up is really down. To be great is to serve. To lower...

This is a guided prayer for the first week of Lent. Get your FREE lent guide here. Our meditation passage (released on 2.26.24) was Matthew 16:21-26. In this account, Peter thought he was protecting Jesus when he tried to stand in the way of his coming death. Peter had no idea that his good intentions would thwart the plans of eternity. In this guided prayer we will take a moment to identify situations we desire to control, remember how God has been faithful in the past, and finally seek...

Peter thought he was protecting Jesus, his friend and his Rabbi. He had no idea that his good intentions would play into the hands of the enemy and thwart the plans of eternity. We often have good intentions as we try to make something happen. It seems reasonable – even good from our perspective. Yet God sees and knows infinitely more than we do. And his ways are not our ways. If Peter’s plan had succeeded, he would have rescued Jesus from a moment of pain but created a lifetime of loss...

This is a guided prayer for the first week of Lent. Get your FREE lent guide here. This week our meditation passage (released on 2.19.24) was Matthew 14:22-33. In this account, Peter walked on water. He was brave and bold when he stepped out of the boat. But the wind kicked up and distracted him from Jesus. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, Peter let fear consume him and started to sink. In this guided prayer we will take a moment to identify what situations are making us fearful, confess...

This guided Scripture meditation is for Lent. You can get your FREE lent guide here In Matthew 14:22-33, Peter walked on water. He was brave and bold when he stepped out of the boat. But the wind kicked up and distracted him from Jesus. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus, fear consumed him and he started to sink. What changed? Peter changed. Jesus remained the same. He did not move. And he was present and ready to help Peter as soon as Peter cried out to him. As you move through this...

This is a guided prayer for the first week of Lent. Get your FREE lent guide here.  This week our meditation passage (released on 2.12.24) was Matthew 14:13-21. In this account, Jesus feeds the 5000 with food that was meant for one meal. In our meditation, we focused on the concept of scarcity versus abundance and trusting God to provide even when we can’t see how he will do it. This guided prayer will lead you into a few peaceful moments with God as you confess your need for him and ask...

This guided Scripture meditation is for the first week of Lent. Get your FREE lent guide here. In this account from Matthew 14, Jesus demonstrated that in His hands, what seems insufficient becomes more than enough. This serves as a beautiful reminder to trust in God's abundant provision in our own lives. As you move through this guided meditation, you will be invited to let the Spirit lead you to what he has for you and to reflect on areas where God is inviting you to trust him...

This is a guided meditation and reflection on all of Psalm 32. Psalm 32 starts with the reminder of the joy we should know because of the fresh start and a clean slate we’ve been given through Jesus. Have we forgotten how amazing and miraculous his work is in our lives? This Psalm also reminds us that hiding sin in secret places will eat us up from the inside out. The amazing news is – when we bring anything hiden into the light, God renews and receives us. Did you catch that? Every single...

This guided Scripture meditation in Isaiah 55 uses Lectio Divina. God is doing work that we can’t even begin to imagine. In Isaiah God declares, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” I have to confess… from my limited perspective it can be hard to understand what God is doing. This passage reminds me that God is doing things beyond our knowing. (see Job 36:26) As I refocus on the truth that God is God and I am not. And that God is good – always good. Then I...

A Scripture Meditation on Psalm 27 using Lectio Divina. Do not be afraid. Easier said than done. Fear is a common emotion when we feel scared, concerned, or even ashamed. In this Psalm, David was being pursued by his very real enemies who wanted to do very real hard to him. In the face of this uncertainty, David chose courageous trust when he declared that God was greater than his enemies and therefore, he would not be afraid. David placed his confidence in the Lord. May we do the...

This guided Scripture meditation is in Psalm 37 using Lectio Divina. Waiting on God is hard. This Psalm reminds us that God will act on our behalf – in his timing and in his ways. It also reminds us to not get caught up in comparison. It will only agitate us, and nothing good comes from this. So, take a deep breath and allow the Lord to guide you into this meditation in Psalm 37. I believe he has something just for you.   Here’s some links I discussed in the podcast: The guided retreat...

Enjoy this guided Scripture meditation in Isaiah 43 using the Lectio Divina meditation method. God is always doing something new. Yes, he remains the same – but we are always changing and therefore he is always up to something new in our lives. As you enter this new year – are you ready for the new work God wants to do in your life?   Listen in to this guided meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to direct you to what he has for you.   Here’s some helpful links I discussed in the...

What is Christian Meditation and how is it different from other kinds of meditation? In this podcast we will: Explore what Christian meditation is and isn’t. Discuss where we see meditation in Scripture. Explore the benefits of meditation for our mind and body. Discuss how meditating on God’s Word helps us hear from God. Unpack exactly what Lectio Divina is and how we use this mediation method on the So Much More podcast.   I also share my personal testimony of how God used the...

This guided Christmas meditation is perfect for you or the entire family. Take a few quiet moments to remember the story of Christmas and reflect through prayer and thanksgiving on what it means for you today. You can find our more about Jodie at: http://www.jodieniznik.com/ If you’re interested in Entering a New Season Guided Retreat, you can find more information here. Join my Monday email newsletter here. Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation for the fourth week of Advent focused on Love.   Jesus is love – and through him, we can be more loving toward others.   This guided meditation may be particularly timely for you. I know it is for me. We always hear that this is the most wonderful time of the year and while that may be true, it’s also a time of added stress. And stress impacts how we love others.   If you’re feeling low on love, take a few deep breaths...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation for the third week of Advent focused on joy.   Jesus is where we find true and lasting joy.   In this passage, Jesus ties our joy to something a bit surprising … obedience. At first glance, this doesn’t feel joyful, does it?   That’s because we have a skewed take on the word obedience. We believe obedience is being told to do something we don’t want to do, like cleaning our room or eating our broccoli.   But I want to...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation for the second week of Advent focused on the peace Jesus offers us.   In John 14, Jesus said he was leaving the disciples with his peace – not just fleeting tranquility for a moment but enduring peace for a lifetime.   And because of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence in our lives today, we also have access to this same peace of Christ.   As we face the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to let our peace...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation for the first week of Advent focused on hope. Jesus is our true and lasting hope. Without hope, we become disillusioned – troubled with fear and anxiety about the future. Yet, Jesus tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” We find hope in trusting Jesus with our future. We find hope in believing that this life is not all there is. We find hope that someday, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of Self-Control. *** You can find out more about The Entering a New Season Guided Retreat here  Christ’s death and resurrection give us freedom. Freedom from earning favor with God. Freedom from trying to earn our salvation.   Yet our freedom isn’t well used when choose sin instead of God’s better way.   Self-control is the ability to say no to sin and yes to God. We know we can’t do this in...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of Gentleness.   Jesus was gentle.   Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)   This means that gentleness is a proper use of power. We all have power over something or someone. So the question becomes: Are we...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of Faithfulness.   What is faithfulness?   Faithfulness, at its core, is believing and acting like God is exactly who He says He is. Even when we face opposition, we can still choose to be faithful. Trusting that God is with us. And that there is a day coming when all that is wrong will be made right.   One way we remain faithful is by drawing courage from those who remained faithful in the...

This week’s podcast is a Guided Lectio Divina Scripture meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of Goodness.   Are you feeling weary?   You aren’t alone. It’s easy to get discouraged when it feels like the good work we are doing isn’t getting the results we hoped for. Or the relationship isn’t getting better. Or it just feels like we keep hitting dead ends.   Take a moment to breathe, reflect on, and remember the goodness of God through this guided meditation on Galatians 6. As you...

This week’s podcast is a Lectio Divina guided Christian meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of Kindness.   Words have power. They can tear down or build up; heal or wound. We’ve all experienced destructive words and the deep wounds they leave behind. And hopefully, we can also recall words that have been spoken to us in kindness and love. Words that have encouraged us to be brave and take a leap of faith or to persevere when times feel challenging.   How do we use our words? Are they...

This week’s podcast is a Lectio Divina guided Scripture Meditation on the Fruit of the Spirit of forbearance. Forbearance means patient self-control, restraint, and tolerance. Does anyone else need more forbearance in their lives? I know I do! Thankfully, forbearance is a Fruit of the Spirit, which means God longs to help us. One way we can cultivate a heart bent toward forbearance is by meditating on God’s unending forbearance with us. God extends grace upon grace to us. He never tires...