{"id":2399,"date":"2025-08-18T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/?p=2399"},"modified":"2025-07-16T15:27:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T19:27:14","slug":"epray-ep-20-lectio-divina-wisdom-guidance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/2025\/08\/18\/epray-ep-20-lectio-divina-wisdom-guidance\/","title":{"rendered":"ePray | Ep. 20 Lectio Divina: Wisdom & Guidance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/a>\n\n\n\r\n
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ePray | Lectio Divina: Ep. 20 Wisdom & Guidance<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Listen to the episode here, or read the transcript below – and don’t forget to tune in weekly!<\/p>\n

ePray | Episode 20| August 18, 2025
\nLectio Divina: Wisdom & Guidance<\/strong>
\nWith Ashley Stromenberg – National Staff<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Lectio Divina: Wisdom & Guidance
\nDate: August 18, 2025
\nScripture:Matthew 7:24-27<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ashley Stromenberg<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part 1: Inward Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Welcome to this week\u2019s ePray devotional. Our theme this month is wisdom. We will begin together with a breath prayer, preparing our heart to hear and asking God to speak. Our inhale will be \u201cTeacher\u201d and our exhale will be \u201cLet me hear\u201d. We will do it together for a few breaths and then you can continue a few on your own.<\/p>\n

Teacher, let me hear.<\/p>\n

Teacher, let me hear.<\/p>\n

Teacher, let me hear.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll be reading from Matthew chapter 7, verses 24-27. As I read the Scripture, continue to turn your thoughts quietly toward the Lord, asking him to open your heart and ears to his voice and word.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice\u00a0is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What parts of your life feel built on the rock?<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause<\/p>\n

What parts of your life feel as if they may be built on the sand?<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause<\/p>\n

Have you been surprised by the rain \u2013 or maybe even feeling angry or frustrated or tricked by a current rainstorm? What does it mean to you today to be reminded that in both cases, the rainstorm came \u2013 and that the difference was not the rain but the foundation of the house?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Part 2: Outward Focus<\/b><\/p>\n

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As we reread this passage, can you think of a person in your life who needs to hear this word? Maybe someone who especially needs God\u2019s love and compassion right now?<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice\u00a0is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What does it mean to help others build a strong foundation for their own house?<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause<\/p>\n

What might it mean to be able to shelter others in the house that you\u2019ve built?<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause<\/p>\n

What action might this reflection invite you into today?<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice\u00a0is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.\u00a0The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Part 3: Wesleyan Covenant Prayer<\/b><\/p>\n

We end this time together with the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer:<\/p>\n


\n<\/span>I am no longer my own, but yours.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Put me to doing, put me to suffering.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you, praised for you or criticized for you.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Let me be full, let me be empty.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Let me have all things, let me have nothing.<\/span>
\n<\/span>I freely and fully surrender all things to your glory and service.<\/span>
\n<\/span>And now, O wonderful and holy God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, You are mine, and I am yours.<\/span>
\n<\/span>So be it.<\/span>
\n<\/span>And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it also be made in heaven.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Return to ePray<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Listen to this episode<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome. Our theme is Wisdom & Guidance. Allow God to speak to you through this guided prayer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":2396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[102,104,103],"class_list":["post-2399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epray","tag-august","tag-guidance","tag-wisdom"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}