{"id":2578,"date":"2026-08-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/?p=2578"},"modified":"2026-08-06T15:22:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T19:22:51","slug":"epray-ep-68-lectio-divina-old-testament-applied-to-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/2026\/08\/24\/epray-ep-68-lectio-divina-old-testament-applied-to-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"ePray | Ep. 68 Lectio Divina: Old Testament applied to ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/a>\n\n\n\r\n
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ePray | Lectio Divina: Ep. 68 Old Testament applied to Ministry<\/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 68| August 24, 2026
\nLectio Divina: Old Testament applied to ministry<\/strong>
\nWith Karen Bott – Youth for Christ Canada<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReturn to ePray<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Transcript<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t
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Lectio Divina: Old Testament applied to ministry
\nDate: August 24, 2026
\nScripture: Exodus 17:8-13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karen Bott<\/b><\/p>\n

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

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Hello, and welcome to today\u2019s epray.\u00a0 As we begin, I invite you to take a moment to quiet your heart and your mind before God.<\/p>\n

Take a couple of deep breaths and allow yourself to relax<\/p>\n

Todays reading is from Exodus 17:8\u201313<\/strong><\/p>\n

8<\/sup><\/strong>The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Moses said to Joshua,\u00a0\u201cChoose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff\u00a0of God in my hands.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>When Moses\u2019 hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up\u2014one on one side, one on the other\u2014so that his hands remained steady till sunset. \u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>So Joshua overcame the Amalekite\u00a0army with the sword.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ministry often asks us to be strong for others. We lead, listen, organize, pray, encourage and respond to needs. Yet even the most faithful people become tired.<\/p>\n

In Exodus 17, Israel is attacked by the Amalekites. Joshua leads the people in battle, while Moses stands on a hill holding the staff of God. As long as Moses keeps his hands raised, Israel has the advantage. But eventually his arms grow tired.<\/p>\n

Aaron and Hur do not criticize Moses for becoming weary. They place a stone beneath him so he can sit, and then they stand beside him and hold up his arms. Together, they remain there until sunset and until the battle is won.<\/p>\n

This passage gives us a powerful picture of ministry.<\/p>\n

Moses had an important role, but he could not fulfil it alone. Joshua also had an important role, as did Aaron and Hur. Some were visible on the battlefield. Others offered support from the hillside. Every role mattered.<\/p>\n

In ministry, we can sometimes believe that being faithful means never becoming tired. We may feel that we should always have enough energy, patience or wisdom. But Moses\u2019 weariness was not a moral failure. It was part of being human.<\/p>\n

The answer was not for Moses to try harder. The answer was community.<\/p>\n

Aaron and Hur noticed what Moses needed. They gave him somewhere to rest, and then they shared the weight. Their ministry was simple, practical and deeply important. They did not take over Moses\u2019 calling, but they helped him remain faithful within it.<\/p>\n

This passage invites us to consider how ministry teams care for one another. Do we notice when someone\u2019s arms are getting tired? Do we make room for people to rest? Are we willing to receive help ourselves, or do we believe we must carry everything alone?<\/p>\n

God\u2019s work is not carried by one heroic person. It is shared among a community. We are called to support one another, to receive support and to trust that God is present in every faithful act.<\/p>\n

This passage invites us to consider how ministry teams care for one another.<\/p>\n

Do we notice when someone\u2019s arms are getting tired, and do we make room for people to rest?<\/p>\n

Pause<\/em><\/p>\n

Are we willing to receive help ourselves, or do we believe we must carry everything alone?<\/p>\n

Pause<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

This passage also shapes how we work with young people. Young people may be carrying struggles that are not immediately visible. Some may be dealing with family pressures, anxiety, loneliness, questions about identity, difficulties at school or uncertainty about faith. They may not always know how to ask for help.<\/p>\n

Our role is not to fight every battle for them. Like Aaron and Hur, we can stand beside them. We can listen, encourage, pray and help them discover that they do not have to face life alone.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the most meaningful ministry is not dramatic. It may be sitting beside a young person, remembering what they told us last week, checking in after a difficult day or quietly helping them take the next step.<\/p>\n

Which young people in our ministry may be carrying burdens that are not immediately visible to us?<\/p>\n

Pause<\/em><\/p>\n

How can we support young people without taking away their voice, independence or opportunity to grow?<\/p>\n

Pause<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Part 2: Closing Prayer<\/b><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll close with an ancient prayer for our Father\u2019s peace and protection as we entrust ourselves to His care:<\/span><\/p>\n

O God,<\/span>
\n<\/span> from whom all holy desires, all good counsels,<\/span>
\n<\/span> and all just works do proceed:<\/span>
\n<\/span> give to your servants that peace<\/span>
\n<\/span> which the world cannot give;<\/span>
\n<\/span> that our hearts may be set to obey your will;<\/span>
\n<\/span> and that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies,<\/span>
\n<\/span> may pass our time in rest and quietness;<\/span>
\n<\/span> through Jesus Christ our Lord.<\/span>
\n<\/span> Amen.<\/span><\/em><\/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\n\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 for August is Old Testament applied to ministry. May you find fresh insights from the OT through this guided prayer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96,"featured_media":2565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[102,131,130,129],"class_list":["post-2578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epray","tag-august","tag-ministry","tag-old-testament","tag-ot"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578","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=2578"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2588,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578\/revisions\/2588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yfc.ca\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}