A pet peeve of mine was a change made in a vital phrase from my favorite prayer.  Someone changed “Inwardly digest,” to “take it to heart.”

I was glad to see that this week, we were back to asking the Lord to aid us in inwardly digesting Holy Scripture. “Blessed Lord, since you have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them…”  So, we prayed in the Prayer of the Day (Collect) this morning.

Holy Scripture enters us in two ways.  We either hear it read or we read it.  However, we can aid the Holy Spirit in making that Holy Scripture a sanctifying nourishment in our lives.  We can mark it with a cross or check mark or underline it.  Then we can Learn it.  That is, spend some time with it. if we have a study bible, read the notes.  Look up the cross references.  Then comes digesting it.  As you are doing all this think about it.  Meditate on it.  How is this Word of the Lord Word of the Lord for me?  How am I able to put this Word into practice?

Give the Holy Spirit an opening a pathway to work that Word into our minds. As the prayer concludes, “that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”