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This week’s Abide comes from the passage in the Our Daily Bread devotional from Monday 27 May.

Today we’ll be abiding in 1 Peter 5:6-11. Using this passage, we’re going to meditate on the words and bring ourselves before God in prayer. But first, let’s look at the verses:

6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

If you haven’t tried a meditative form of praying through scripture before, it’s quite simple. We’ll focus on quieting our hearts and minds before God, using this passage from first Peter to guide our prayer. Verse by verse, there will be a prompt to reflect and talk to God.

I admire the guts it took Micaiah to speak the truth, even when it went against 400 other people. We might not ever be put on the spot before two kings, but I know we’ve all faced the pressure to conform to the majority at some point.

To start, get in a comfortable position, away from any distractions. Close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths, focusing on your chest rising and falling with each one. Let’s invite God’s Spirit to speak to us: Father, thank you for your presence, and for this time I have with You. Please meet me here in the stillness by your Spirit. Help my mind to focus on You and Your goodness.

Let’s start from verse 6:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Are there times recently when you’ve felt your own pride getting in the way of surrendering to God? Bring them to Him now. Breathe deeply and think on how His word promises that when we draw near to Him in humility, He will lift us up in His timing. What does that mean for you?

Next, verse 7:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

What are you worried about? What’s weighing you down? Take a moment to give those burdens to God and let Him fill you with His peace. As you breathe in, feel the comfort of a loving father who cares deeply for you.

Let’s continue with verses 8 and 9:

“Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that the family of believers throughout the world
is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

These verses might sound a bit jarring at first, but they come with an important reminder: we have the power to resist the enemy when we’re standing firm in our faith.

Think of a time recently when you were tempted, or felt weak in the face of a spiritual attack. It’s entirely normal that you might have felt alone. But Peter reminds us that we’re part of a family of believers who are facing trials and suffering, just as we are. 

Take a moment to think of Christians in other parts of the world, and pray that they would stand firm in their faith and receive God’s comfort in their suffering.

Now, we read verse 10:

“And the God of all grace,
who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will himself restore you
and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Isn’t it beautiful to know that we have been called to eternal life? Whatever we’re going through in this present age is nothing compared to the glory that awaits us in Heaven. Even now, as we wait for an end to the world’s suffering, ask God to fill you with His strength.

And finally, we end with verse 11:

“To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Praising God is so much more than singing worship songs during a church service. We can praise God by declaring His goodness and thanking Him for all that He’s done. Let’s take a moment to close our time of prayer by telling God what we love about Him.

For example, it could be the fact that He’s always present, the Creator of all things, and that He is so gracious towards me. What do you want to praise Him for?

We hope that this time of meditative prayer through these verses in 1 Peter 5 has been an encouragement. Why don’t you pick another passage of Scripture and try this again on your own this week, sitting in stillness and praying through a verse or two at a time?

Perhaps listen to these verses using an audio Bible so that you can close your eyes while the passage is read out to you. Whichever way you engage with God’s Word best, we hope this beginning exploration has encouraged you to try it more for yourself.