sh-m-` (ש-מ-ע)

A Hebrew word : to listen with such focus that hearing and acting become one.

The Shema is the foundational declaration of Jewish faith and identity, asserting the absolute unity of God. Drawn from the biblical book of Deuteronomy, it serves as both a daily commandment and a lifelong cognitive anchor for mindfulness, traditionally recited in the morning, the evening, and right before going to sleep.

Practicing the Shema realigns our perspective daily, dissolving fragmented anxieties into a grander, interconnected unity. It bookends each day with absolute purpose, gratitude, and peace.

A Bedtime Shema Practice

1. Set the Intention
   (Kavanah)
   Pause for a brief moment in total silence before speaking to clear your mind of the day’s distractions. Focus inward and prepare your mind for the declaration of unity.

2. Declare the Core Unity
   (Deuteronomy 6:4)
   Cover your eyes with your right hand to physically block out the visual world and speak these words aloud, extending the sound of the final word, “One“:

3. Acknowledge the Sovereignty
   (Traditional Rabbinic Addition)
   Lower your hand and whisper this traditional response line as an act of humility:

4. Recite the Paragraph of Love
   (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)
   Speak or chant the first full paragraph of the prayer, which commands us to ground these beliefs in our daily actions, relationships, and homes:

5. Close with the Sleep Blessing
   (Hamapil - Talmud, Berakhot 60a)
   For nighttime, recite this final blessing to transition into rest. Once spoken, embrace silence and allow the prayer to carry you into sleep.

Resources

Citation:

Sefaria Library, Torah, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Talmud, Berakhot 4b and 60a.

Official Core Text Resource:

Sefaria Topic: Shema

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How To Practice Shema Prayer Simple Spiritual Disciplines

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Discover the transformative power of the Shema. Learn a simple, 8-step meditative practice to deepen your faith, find inner peace, and realign your daily life with focus, gratitude, and intentional listening.

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Other Prayers

"The interactive life of working with God to bring his Kingdom to bear on our reality."

Definition: A relational, ongoing conversation and engagement with God that develops intimacy and attentiveness to His movements.

What it is NOT: It is not a mechanical ritual, a way to move or impress God, or a tool for personal gain.

Jesus’ Model: Jesus’ constant prayer was not a religious obligation, but a lifeline of intimacy. It served as the continuous, transformative process of yielding His human desires to the Father’s perfect will, ensuring that His every action—from the start of His ministry to His final sacrifice—was an expression of complete, unified obedience.

Types of Prayer

• The Lord’s Prayer: The teaching of Jesus on how to pray: Simple & complete. (I called “The Prayer Jesus Recommended”)

• Intercessory Prayer: Structured time praying Jesus’ prayers for others, from heaven to earth.

• Listening Prayer: Remaining quiet and receptive to hearing God’s leading.

• Examen Reflection: Reviewing the day to notice God’s presence and work

• Crafted Prayer: Taking time with Holy Spirit to discover what Jesus is praying over you or what He wants to highlight. Write it down and edit it light of His character. Then edit it into a prayer to pray over yourself.

• Crafted Psalm: Processing your crisis through the character and nature of God in the form of a psalm.

Key Scriptures: Matthew 6:9–13; Philippians 4:6–7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17

This week:

Add these weekly spiritual disciplines to your personal devotion times:

• Pray The Prayer Jesus Recommended 3x (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

• And two other prayer disciplines listed below (every other day)

How to pray:

The practices & downloads

See Also

Inspired by:

• Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. 40th anniversary ed. New York: HarperOne, 2018.

• Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988.

The Practice²

1. Praise God: Meditate on His character: Gracious, Compassionate, Slow to Anger and rich in promise-keeping love (Exodus 34:6-7) to align your heart with His holiness and power. Hebrews 7:25; Psalm 100:4

2. Clean Heart: Invite the Holy Spirit to expose sin or resentment, then confess (speak about our sin³ like God does) and forgive to clear any spiritual obstruction. Psalm 139:23–24; Psalm 66:18

3. Spirit Control: Voluntarily surrender your thoughts and words & invite Holy Spirit’s direction. Romans 8:26; Ephesians 5:18

4. Resist the Enemy: Actively pray in the name/reputation of Jesus and with Scripture any neutralize spiritual opposition. James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8–9

5. Die to Self: Relinquish your own judgements and desires for how the situation should resolve. Proverbs 3:5; Isaiah 55:8

6. Wait in Silence: Remain in a receptive, quiet state until you sense God’s specific heart for the matter. Psalm 62:5; Habakkuk 2:1

7. The Spirit’s Word: Obediently voice the specific scriptures or impressions God reveals to you. John 10:27; Psalm 32:8

8. Finish in Praise: Conclude by thanking Him for the outcome, demonstrating faith that He is already working, even before it is visible. Philippians 4:6–7; Romans 11:36

This process moves you from a place of limited human effort into a posture of divine alignment and authority.

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How To Practice Intercessory Prayer Simple Spiritual Disciplines

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Discover an 8-step framework for effective intercession. From praising God to finishing in gratitude, learn how to refine your prayer life and deepen your spiritual practice.

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Other Prayers

Spiritual Discipline: Prayer

Breath prayer is a simple spiritual discipline that syncs your breathing with short, intentional prayers, grounding you in God’s presence throughout the day

The Practice

1. Find Stillness: Sit or stand in a comfortable position, keeping your back upright, palms up1. Close your eyes, if that helps you focus.

2. Steady Your Breath: Take a few slow, natural breaths. Inhale deeply, purse your lips tightly and exhale forcefully against that resistance2.

3. Choose Your Phrase: Select a short phrase. It often works best to use the first half of the phrase as you inhale, and the second half as you exhale.

4. Inhale (The Invitation): As you breathe in, silently acknowledge who God is or invite Him into your current moment.

5. Exhale (The Response): As you breathe out, express your surrender, need, or praise.

Example

Psalm 23:1–3 Breath Prayer (LSB)

1. .“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

   • Inhale: The LORD is my shepherd

   • Exhale: I shall not want

2. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.”

   • Inhale: He makes me lie down

   • Exhale: beside still waters

3. “He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

   • Inhale: He restores my soul

   • Exhale: He leads me in righteousness

Try Psalm 22

Jesus prayed Psalm 22 on the cross (”My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”). Its Hebrew poetic rhythm mirrors human breath, capturing His abandonment, physical collapse, and ultimate trust. The psalm moves from deep despair to praise, perfectly paralleling Christ’s passion and vindication.

What to expect

• Embodied prayer: Breath-paced meditation on Christ’s physical and emotional suffering.

• Shift to trust: A natural movement from raw lament to contemplative praise.

• Sacred stillness: Rhythmic silence that deepens awareness of His redemptive work.

Common OT and NT examples (long and short) prayed this way:

Psalm 23:1–3, Psalm 46:10, Psalm 62:1, Psalm 131:2, Psalm 22:1–31, Psalm 31:5, Psalm 69:1–21, Luke 23:46, Matthew 11:28, John 14:27, John 19:30

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How To Practice Breath Prayer A Simple Spiritual Discipline

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Learn the practice of Breath Prayer to deepen your spiritual life. This guide covers how to align your breathing with scripture to invite God into your day, lower your heart rate, and find rest through the power of intentional prayer.

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Other Prayers

Developed by Brad Jersack

1. SETTLE
   Sit quietly with a journal. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead your imagination.

2. PICTURE
   Imagine a “safe place” (a beach, a porch, a meadow). Step into it.

3. INVITE
   See Jesus enter that space. Sit with Him. How does He look at you?

4. ASK
   “Jesus, what do You want to say to me today?” or “What do You like about me?”

“Jesus, also intercedes for us.”

Rom 8:34

5. RECEIVE
   Write down the first thought, image, or feeling that “pops” into your mind without overthinking it. In prophetic teaching, we call these “impressions“.

Pray

Now, craft a prayer and pray it aloud. Let it reflect your heart’s true response to this exercise—be it gratitude, praise, or a reflection on the impressions He has just revealed.

5 Step Listening Prayer Exercise Worksheet (pdf Printable)

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Download a free 5-step listening prayer exercise worksheet. Learn biblical techniques for Christian meditation, hearing God's voice, and cultivating deep inward spiritual disciplines.

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Other Prayers

How long does Examen take? 10-15 minutes

Meditate and pray

1. RELISH

   • Start by noticing small joys from the last 24 hours (a good coffee, a laugh, a sunset).
     Thank God for them.

2. REQUEST
   Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see your day clearly—not through your own self-criticism, but through God’s eyes.

3. REVIEW
   Replay your day like a movie.

   • Where did you feel Consolation (peace, love, energy)?

   • Where did you feel Desolation (anxiety, anger, draining)?

4. REPENT
   Acknowledge the moments you “missed the mark” or turned away from love. Receive forgiveness and let it go.

5. RESOLVE
   Look at tomorrow. What do you need? Ask for the specific grace (patience, courage, rest) to meet the next 24 hours.

Examen Prayer Modified Spiritual Disciplines Prayer

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Feel free to download, print, and share this guide for personal or group study. Learn how to practice the Ignatian Examen, a 500-year-old daily prayer routine focused on mindfulness and reflection. Discover the five steps—Relish, Request, Review, Repent, and Resolve—to find spiritual clarity, recognize moments of consolation or desolation, and connect deeply with God's presence.

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Other Prayers Disciplines

Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:9-13 | LSB

Process

Meditate on Meaning

1. Our Father: Parent to the redeemed and the fatherless; the eternal, others-centered, life-giving Spirit; compassionate, gracious, patient, and full of unrelenting, faithful, devoted love.

2. …in the skies: Positioned far above our limited perspective of time, and space. A realm without darkness, decay, sickness, hatred, or lies—where faith is finally replaced by sight.

3. Hallowed be thy name: Holy and unblemished is your reputation, renown, and glory—may you always be set apart, never treated as common. May we never use being made in your image for our own advantage.

4. Your kingdom come: Make manifest the dominion of the King; your rule, reign, and perfect judgment supersede our own. Overwrite our operating system with your ways.

5. Your will be done: Your intentions, will, and desires be fully accomplished, with no restrictions.

6. On earth as it is in the skies: may our inferior, limited world reflect and operate according to your ways and your will

7. Give us this day our daily bread: Provide all of our needs for this mission, exactly when we need them.

8. Forgive us our debts: Forgive us when we trust our own will over yours or step outside your dominion. Reveal our hidden faults so we may turn from them, walking fully submitted to and relying on you.

9. As we also have forgiven our debtors: Just as we have quickly released anyone from our judgment; bring to mind anyone we have not yet forgiven and grant us the grace to forgive them now..

10. Lead us not into temptation: Do not lead us into a test where our appetites will trap us or betray us into bondage.

11. And deliver us from evil: If we are tested, save us from the deceiver’s plans, both known and unknown.

Pray through Meaning

1. Focus on the Father’s character as described. Once you are moved by awe, begin to pray.

2. Pray the core meaning of the words rather than just reciting them. Look past your default thinking, using your imagination to engage with what these words reveal about God and your relationship with Him.

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Printable Lord's Prayer Meditation Guide

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He who always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:25 | LSB

Process

What is the Father highlighting

1. The Trust: Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind God’s one or two of the 10 commands or a specific experience you had with Him. Write down only the ones that stand out. Then ask, “What does this tell me about God’s character?” Listen for His response, and write down these specific character traits of God.

2. The Complaint: Focus on a current crisis or challenge in your life that makes it hard to see or believe those specific traits of God.

3. The Address: Choose a title or name for God that connects with the character traits you wrote down (for example: Father, Lord, Friend, or Protector).

4. The Deliverance: Connect God’s character traits directly to your current crisis. Ask Him to bring those specific qualities into your situation.

5. The Praise: End with a declaration of faith, thanking God for who He is to you right now and who He promises to be in your future.

Craft the Psalm

Fill out the following sections with the information you received from the Holy Spirit.

• The Address: Directly calling out to God (”O Lord...”, “My God...”, “Our Father…”, etc.).

• The Complaint: Telling God exactly what is wrong (”My enemies are surrounding me… “I am exhausted…”, “I am tormented…”, etc. ).

• The Trust: Remembering the past or a character of God to help to build confidence (”Yet you have always been my shield”, “You supply all my needs”, etc.).

• The Deliverance Request: Asking for specific help (”Save me,” “Listen to my prayer”, etc.).

• The Praise: Ending with a promise to thank God once the crisis is over (”I will sing praises to your name”, etc.).

Pray the Psalm out loud

Take time to adjust the flow of the text so that it’s easy to pray, easy to read. Then pray it out loud over yourself. You are praying the very words of God over your life.

Crafting A Psalm Spiritual Disciplines Prayer

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Download the free 5-step psalm prayer journal template. A structured spiritual discipline guide to help you write your own personal psalms of trust and praise.

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