<![CDATA[Selah Journal]]>https://journal.selahprayer.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aMrx!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd571673f-7c93-47a4-8c7a-577d46a75699_1280x1280.pngSelah Journalhttps://journal.selahprayer.comSubstackTue, 07 Apr 2026 00:41:01 GMT<![CDATA[Following His Gentle Invitation]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/following-his-gentle-invitationhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/following-his-gentle-invitationWed, 31 Dec 2025 22:30:14 GMTMy hands felt sweaty, my heart was racing, and I searched the room for help. I was at youth camp and worship was moving my heart, the Spirit was stirring me, and as I looked around the room, I realized no one else was raising their hands. I felt a nudge to respond to the Spirit, and yet my teenage heart was looking around the room for reassurance. Will …

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]]><![CDATA[Our Longing is Our Compass]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/our-longing-is-our-compasshttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/our-longing-is-our-compassTue, 09 Dec 2025 15:02:55 GMT[Click the voiceover above to listen to this post rather than read. ◡̈ ]

What do you pray when you don’t know what to pray?

How do you pray when you’ve never learned?

What does God want us to pray?

These are questions I’m asked as a pastor and, frankly, I’ve asked myself in the journey of prayer and faith. It’s a question that tightropes between discipleshi…

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]]><![CDATA[Writing as a Home]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/writing-as-a-homehttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/writing-as-a-homeWed, 16 Apr 2025 14:02:21 GMTI look out the window from my writing desk.

What season it is, I can’t decide. On one hand, I’d love to see a freshly watered garden. The flora and fauna bright with a late spring shower that has since rolled away and let the sun turn all the droplets to glitter.

Or maybe it’s a frosty winter dawn. The air looks cold. The early morning when my family is w…

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]]><![CDATA[A Stone Dwelling]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-stone-dwellinghttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-stone-dwellingFri, 06 Sep 2024 11:50:41 GMT
In my flailing
In my wailing
In my anger
In my running

You are never further
than the reach of my hand.

The distance I think I feel from You
is more likely the padding of my self-protection
when You don't show up in my short sighted demands
my earthly ultimatums.

Perhaps You are allowing 
the shallow house I've built
to fall.

My desperation
My frant…

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]]><![CDATA[Stay.]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/stayhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/stayTue, 27 Aug 2024 00:25:16 GMT(trigger warning: contains brief language regarding medical trauma)

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]]><![CDATA[His Voice]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/his-voicehttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/his-voiceThu, 06 Jun 2024 13:18:59 GMT
Let me find
in the chaos of words
Your voice
echoing over the waves
through the storm
to reach me:
a thunder of peace
that silences smaller things.
-els

I’ve been a bit at a loss for longer form posts, but I’ve been pouring my heart out in poetry lately. So I’d love to pose a few questions each time I share for you to reflect. Share in the comments. I’d …

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]]><![CDATA[Holy Dissatisfaction]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/holy-dissatisfactionhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/holy-dissatisfactionTue, 04 Jun 2024 01:50:49 GMT
O God, that we would have a holy dissatisfaction
with this earthly taste of your goodness.

Let us spend our lives
wanting more of You
of Your presence
of Your voice
of Your nearness.

Lord, may I never believe
I've had my fill of You.

-els

Poetry, drinking deep of encounter with God, and exploring the Presence of the Lord together. Join me - xo

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]]><![CDATA[Stop & Listen]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/stop-and-listenhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/stop-and-listenFri, 17 May 2024 14:00:58 GMT

Thank you for reading Selah Living! Subscribe for free and receive new posts!

I’ve been wanting to start writing again for a while. And podcasting! I’ve wanted to kickstart that again too. But there’s something about putting things on the internet that feel like they need to be polished, perfect, well thought out that caused me to hesitate.

Well, perfecti…

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]]><![CDATA[Heart, Body, Mind]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/heart-body-mind-912https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/heart-body-mind-912Sun, 22 Aug 2021 13:00:00 GMT“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart." -Deuteronomy 6:4-6

When Jesus repeated these words in Matthew, we see the importance that he is placing on a whole body spirituality. In today's episode, I talk all about the Harmony Triads found within the Enneagram tool and how we can use them to worship God in a holistic way.

Don't forget to review and share this podcast with your friends!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/delight-and-abide/support

]]><![CDATA[Jesus, Mary, Martha, and YOU]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/jesus-mary-martha-and-you-f34https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/jesus-mary-martha-and-you-f34Sun, 15 Aug 2021 11:00:00 GMTOne of the most impactful ways of being in Scripture that I have experienced is Imaginative Reading. Through this, you imagine yourself within the story, and it opens up a world of experience with the Lord that brings intimacy and new revelation.

In today's episode, we walk through Luke 10:38-42 - the story of Mary and Martha. If you have questions for Jesus, this episode is for you.

]]><![CDATA[Advent - Guided Imagery on LOVE]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-guided-imagery-on-love-3behttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-guided-imagery-on-love-3beSun, 20 Dec 2020 18:00:00 GMTHave you ever heard the quote by A.W. Tozer that says the first thing you think about God is the most important thing about you? In this episode, we explore God's love and what we think of it. I also get a bit vulnerable with something we've gone through as a family. Welcome, you're not alone in your pain.

]]><![CDATA[Advent - An Imaginative Prayer on JOY]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-an-imaginative-prayer-on-joy-c74https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-an-imaginative-prayer-on-joy-c74Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:44:20 GMTWhat do you think that the wise men or shepherds experienced when they saw the star and angels? In this episode, we walk through an imaginative prayer on Matthew 2:10-11 and what the wise men had experienced in meeting Jesus for the first time. If you're needing an infusion of joy, this is the episode for you.

]]><![CDATA[Advent - Centering Prayer on PREPARATION]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-centering-prayer-on-preparation-1ddhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-centering-prayer-on-preparation-1ddMon, 07 Dec 2020 05:43:59 GMTAs I reflected on the week of Preparation, I was really struck with idea of making space for Jesus. How do we make space for Him and in what ways have I not made space for Him? In this episode, we take time to center on the Lord and self-reflect in our Calm and Beautiful Space (you can listen to that episode here). I also share this post that I really resonated with by Rich Villodas on Instagram. Enjoy.

]]><![CDATA[Advent - Centering Prayer on HOPE]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-centering-prayer-on-hope-79chttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/advent-centering-prayer-on-hope-79cSun, 29 Nov 2020 18:00:00 GMTAs we enter into the Advent season of 2020, I wanted to take some time to really center on something that we may be lacking a bit in these times: HOPE. Join me as I lead you in a guided centering prayer focused on hope that will place you in a more grounded space as well as center your heart on scripture and the Lord as we begin Advent.

I mentioned The Bible Project in this episode which is an amazing resource for making sense of the Bible and is a great way to learn with your kids (or not! They're great for adults too!)

]]><![CDATA[A Mindful Read of Psalm 100:4-5]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-mindful-read-of-psalm-1004-5-761https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-mindful-read-of-psalm-1004-5-761Sun, 22 Nov 2020 20:00:00 GMTHave you heard of Lectio Divina? It's a beautiful way to walk through a passage of scripture in a mindful and experiential way. It allows for the Spirit of God to speak to you as well as for your spirit to marinate in the Word. In this episode, we walk through Psalm 100:4-5 utilizing Lectio Divina. 

Four steps:

1) Lectio - read

2) Meditatio - meditate

3) Oratio - pray

4) Contemplatio - contemplate

]]><![CDATA[A Safe Container]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-safe-container-a72https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/a-safe-container-a72Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:00:00 GMTWhat do we know about emotion and distress? The more we push it down and away, the greater the force it will have when it pops back up. Think pushing a beach ball under the water. Doesn't work. But what happens when our hearts need a break? In this episode, I introduce an alternative to pushing the distress away. One that honors your experience while also giving you a break.

Book mentioned in this episode is Try Softer by Aundi Kolber. (This is an affiliate link. You can read my affiliate policy here.)

]]><![CDATA[Warm and Comforting Light]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/warm-and-comforting-light-a8fhttps://journal.selahprayer.com/p/warm-and-comforting-light-a8fSun, 08 Nov 2020 20:00:00 GMTIn full transparency, this week has been a lot of high highs and low lows for me. Often, I yell-prayed to God my confusion at what comes next or what is even happening now. Can you relate?

In today's episode, we focus on the title of Jesus: The Light of the World with a mindful meditation. I hope it brings comfort and peace to you.

Verses referenced in this episode: John 8:12, John 1:5, and Matthew 5:14.

]]><![CDATA[Calm and Beautiful Space]]>https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/calm-and-beautiful-space-fa4https://journal.selahprayer.com/p/calm-and-beautiful-space-fa4Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:00:00 GMTTHE FIRST PODCAST EPISODE!!! AHHHH!!! So excited for you to join me in this first episode that I hope will only be the beginning of an amazing place for you to come to find peace. In today's episode we talk about (and walk through) the Calm and Beautiful Space exercise. This exercise is often used when a person is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or even triggered. It uses the beauty of imagination to bring a grounded calm to the heart, body, mind, and spirit. I hope you enjoy.

Referenced in the episode: Using Imagination to Rewire the Brain

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