March 2026
The following is a possible framework for the Witnessing of the Word. It can be personalised or altered: its purpose is to serve as an example of how this Saying might be used primarily in the context of a Prayer Group, but it may be used by individuals too. It is not intended to be definitive. In the context of a group: the periods of silence should be appropriate for your group - probably not less than 5 minutes, or more than 15 minutes.
Saying for the month: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God’ (Matthew 4.10: RSV). In your time of contemplation, you may like to shorten this to ‘worship the Lord your God’.
To begin the exercise, first spend a short while in relaxation and preparing to be still; you may want to relax your way through your muscles or you may find it helpful to become aware of the sounds around you and then put them aside as you offer this time of prayer to God.
Say this introductory invitation to prayer, then keep a further minute or two of silence: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11.28).
Introduction to the first silence - a preparation for listening with the mind:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God’.
As we are in Lent, perhaps we should not be surprised that our word this month involves us accompanying Jesus in the desert, in tough times, as he battles various temptations.
Perhaps some of Christ’s most famous and famously reassuring statements are made in the context of these terrible offers. Jesus says: ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”’ (Matthew 4.4). And at Matthew 4.7, Christ declares: ‘Again it is written, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”’. But perhaps the ultimate declaration is made at Matthew 4.10: Then Jesus said to him, ‘Begone, Satan! for it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve”’. We are told that it is only then that the Devil leaves Jesus be, and that angels then come and care for him.
In all these temptations, Jesus refuses to employ his own divine power to meet his physical needs, continuing to trust that God the Father will provide, or not provide, as is His holy will. Jesus also counters Satan every time he is tempted with scripture. We see God’s word become our food. Immersing ourselves in, feeding on and acting upon scripture is vital to our very survival.
We see here also some subtle putting of scripture and God Himself to the test. Maybe this brings us back to reading all scripture faithfully, listening carefully to God and possibly not holding our favourite parts in isolation or selectively believing that which most appeals to us?
Our Saying for March comes from the third of Christ’s temptations. It is about short-cuts; quick routes to the kingdom for Jesus. He is offered a path straight to glory, avoiding suffering and a painful death. This he rebuffs, for there is just nowhere in Jesus where these ideas and challenges can gain a foothold. Jesus is wholehearted, intentional and focused. He counters with: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God’. What more need he – can any of us – say?
God sends His angels to help Jesus at the close of these temptations, all of which he has successfully withstood. Maybe we might step back a moment from this wilderness scene and notice Jesus’ agony, possibly how gaunt and pained He is? Might we pause for a moment to be thankful and grateful that our dear Lord’s experience of these temptations prepared Him to be a sympathetic High Priest for us, showing solidarity with us and our fragilities, enduring these things as a human. Is it not a major comfort that ‘Jesus took hold of our humanity in every way, making us his brothers and sisters and becoming a merciful and faithful King-Priest’ for us? (Hebrews 2:17, TPT).
With all this in mind, let us now take this saying into our minds: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God’, grateful that our dear Lord resisted easy shortcuts, stood in solidarity with us, and pleads for us as our amazing High Priest.
We take this Saying into our minds, allowing the saying to speak to us:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God’.
A time is now kept for silence of the mind – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes. The silence concludes with a short thanksgiving, and/or feel free to repeat the Saying.
The first silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you for the gift of your Word.
Introduction to the second silence - a preparation for listening with the heart:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God’.
In Lent, we might be encouraged to take on something, rather than looking at the penitential season as purely one where we give things up for these forty days.
As we take this saying into our hearts, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God’ and allow Jesus’ words to speak in us, to touch our emotions and motivations, it might be that we ponder if there are actually things that we need to let go of, so our hands are empty and open. Then we may be more able to take on some extra, deeper Lenten activities.
There is an Ignatian idea of disordered affections that might apply here. Recently I heard it described as disordered appetites. It seems that we humans are very prone to allowing things to get a grip on us. Possibly things – possessions, substances, ideas, attitudes, relationship – easily get a toehold and winkle their way into our affections. We get attached to so many things. This did not happen for Jesus; such things did not get a foothold. Even when it was suggested that just once he might bow down, he might worship elsewhere and get a huge reward for so-doing, he stayed single-minded in His devotion. Focus, giving worth, worship was to be directed to God alone:
‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve’.
Maybe, as this Word sinks into our hearts, there is a challenge for us? You might want to ask yourself: what have I allowed to grab me, allowed to get a toehold and intrude into my heart and my devotion? Other questions might include:
What actually consumes my time and attention?
What are my priorities really?
What has appealed most to my heart?
Are any of these competing with the worship and devotion of my Lord?
Anything to let go of?
Anything that needs some re-ordering?
Now we take this word into our hearts, as we allow Jesus’ words to speak in us, to let it touch us and let it work more deeply upon our lives.
A time is now kept for silence of the heart – perhaps between 5 and 15 minutes.
The second silence ends with the words: Father, we thank you that your Word is alive and within us.
Introduction to the time of
intercession – taking God’s word outwards into the world.
‘You shall worship the Lord your God’.
When we look at our world it seems perhaps clear that many things divert us from worshipping God in the spirit of truth and divert us from connection with Him. Maybe we might then now pray this Word through us to:
Politicians, local, national and international leaders – as so much competes for their attention and affections.
Business leaders: again those you know running local firms and more broadly those involved in commercial enterprises across the country and world.
Those in the grip of addictions of various types.
All those we know who are distracted and value so many aspects of life above giving Jesus his true worth and place in our lives.
Say the name of a person or a group of people, and after a short pause, repeat the saying. For example:
‘Alison and your family - ‘… worship the Lord your God’.
As we allow the word to speak through us we might direct Jesus’ word towards those people and situations where there is suffering, hurt and an absence of joy and where abiding in Christ would bring comfort. Conclude this time of intercession with words of thanksgiving: Father, we thank you that your Word has gone out through us to those for whom we pray.
The Conclusion
Feel free to use the Fellowship
Prayer (below) or another closing prayer to conclude your time of contemplative
prayer:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for all your unsearchable riches which pour forth from you as light from the sun, in boundless profusion and generosity, whether received, ignored or rejected. And now we offer to you, in so far as we are able, as an emptiness to be filled with your divine fullness, ourselves, our souls and bodies; all that we are, all that we have and all that we do. Amen
You may wish to say the Grace together before departing.