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Clean Hearts Daily Meditation
Clean Hearts Daily Scripture Meditation and Prayers
One widely-used spiritual practice is daily prayer and meditation on the scriptures, followed by journaling on our reflection and prayer practice. The Clean Hearts method is a simple way of incorporating the daily spiritual practices of prayer, scripture reading and journaling. It is a way of allowing God to speak to you through the scriptures.
To practice the Clean Hearts Method:
Open with prayer from Psalm 51:
Open my lips, O Lord,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
Today’s Scripture Reading and SOAP
SOAP stands for: Scripture, Observations, Application, Prayer. The SOAP method is a way of allowing God to speak to you through the scriptures, and interacting with God's voice through the written word, using the practice of journaling. Here is how you follow the SOAP method:
Look up today's lectionary readings (If you use only one reading, try the gospel).
The daily office readings can be found here: Daily Office Lectionary
Go to this week's date under "Daily Office Lectionary" and click on "NRSV" to find this week's readings.
Then download the journal response page: Scripture Journal
You may fill it out online and save it to your own journal file, or print it and fill it out by hand. Keep a record of your journal entries, which will be a spiritual diary of sorts. From time to time, review your entries and note how God is working in your life.
Then continue with the following prayers:
Prayers for Ourselves, Others and the World
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come, your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
Now and for ever. Amen.
A Closing Prayer
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
