Lectio 365 series and devotionals are based around three ‘loves’ and six ‘practices’ that shape our prayers at morning, midday, and night. These are central to 24-7 Prayer, Lectio 365 and the Order of The Mustard Seed, which developed these six practices.
When Jesus was asked, which is the greatest command in God’s law, he replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
These are the two great loves of the Christian faith, and to them we add Jesus’ call to love the world by making disciples of all nations.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Love God. Love others. Love the world.
These three loves fuel a Jesus-centred life. But how do we put love into action?
The 24-7 Prayer movement pursues six spiritual practices that help us ignite and fuel the three loves at the heart of our faith.
We love God through prayer and creativity.
We love others through justice and hospitality.
We love the world through mission and learning.
The six practices at the heart of Lectio 365 shape our daily prayers at morning, midday, and night. We pray with creativity and a heart for mission; we pray for justice, and learn about God, ourselves and others, and we pray to grow in hospitality, believing that the presence of God is with us each day.
Together we imitate the early church by pausing to pray three times a day adapting ancient practices of prayer for our modern world. We learn to pray as we reflect on Bible passages, and as we celebrate the lives of heroes of faith.
Creativity has been a hallmark of the church throughout the centuries. Ancient monasteries were centres of excellence in the visual arts, in music and in architecture. Artistic expression has always been part of how we worship God. We reflect our Creator and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation through our own creativity.
To be a follower of Christ, it’s not enough to simply know Jesus for myself. I have an obligation to love my neighbour, whoever they are, near or far. As philosopher and social critic Dr. Cornel West wrote: “justice is what love looks like in public.”
New Testament hospitality is not about enjoying dinner parties with interesting friends. It is the practice of welcoming strangers, outsiders, the homeless and the poor. An ancient rule of monastic life was that all who came as pilgrims should be welcomed as if they were Christ himself.
The aim of learning is not to be clever enough to win arguments, or to be more successful than other people. Nor is it simply to acquire knowledge. Rather, it is to know God better and love him more. Learning is the life-long practice of disciples who make disciples.
The practice of mission is not to impose my culture and way of life on others. It’s simply to be like Jesus in the world – to love and be kind to everyone, and to point others toward God, explaining why I have hope and joy, even in tough times.
Lectio 365 series and devotionals are based around these three loves and six practices.
Try a devotional to discover how we use these to pray.
Find out more about The Order of the Mustard Seed (OMS) which developed these practices.
You can also listen to an episode of The 24-7 Prayer Podcast with Jill Weber from The Order of the Mustard Seed, in which she shares how these three loves and six practices have shaped her life.
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