These activities are all about coming into the promise that God is our Father who will gladly provide for all that we need.

Activity 1 - Read Psalm 23

Slowly read Psalm 23 - relax, and allow yourself to “slow down” as you read - pushing away thoughts about what you need to do after this or things on your to-do list.

If you prefer listening to instead of or in addition to reading, then John Suchet’s reading can be found here on YouTube.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you notice elements in the Psalm. It might be that God is our shepherd (and Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd) - he leads us into blessing. It might be the sense of rest as we lay down in green pasture.

It might be that you're walkthough through a valley of the shadow of death - but you’re willing to “take up your cross” and be obedient to Him even though you don’t know how and when it’ll end.

Read or listen to a verse slowly, and pause and wait for God to highlight things to you.

Activity 2 - God - are you really that good?

Consider how you view God - and honestly bring how you really think of Him to God in prayer. If you’ve got lots of ideas then go for it - but if getting started is difficult then perhaps think over one or two of the topics below:

• Disappointments: Do I have any disaapointments that cloud my view of God, are there any situations where you didn’t consider that God was there for you and with you in those times. Bring them honestly and openly before God - and ask Him to give you His perspective. Allow your heart to be open to God’s healing and your mind to be changed by what God says to you.

• Poverty: Is this currently a season where you lack some kind of reource? It could be friendships or a special relationship, a difficult situation or season or money worries. Has there been a time in your life (particularly in your childhood) where you actually didn’t have enough or worried about not having enough that casts a shadow into your life now - that makes Psalm 23 hard to believe. Ask God for healing and enlightenment.

• Who are you? What words would you use to decribe God? Faithful, angry, joyfull, extravagant, dissapointed, loving, distant, unknown? IF you find it hard to believer that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are smiling over you and warmly love you, then ask God to reveal why that is and ask Him to heal you.

Activity 3 - Talk & pray with a friend

Call or message someone that knows Jesus and that you trust.  Ask them if you could meet; have a tea or a coffee, and just talk through what you prayed and what you felt God say in return. Ask them to pray with you and over you that God would meet your needs and bring you freedom.

Even better if your friend has done it too, so you can pray for each other.

Photo credit Pavel Danilyuk