Lectio365 App Review

The Lectio365 app is a simple, free resource that I would recommend to any Christian who is interested in growing deeper in prayer. 24/7 Prayer Movement, launched the app with the content of Lectio365 created by Pete Grieg and his team. This app intended as a 10-minute daily devotional, ideally in the morning with the audio feature turned on and all distractions silenced. Honestly, as a young mom, I often find myself multitasking, and the best time for me to engage in this guided prayer is while I am getting ready or washing the breakfast dishes. I appreciate the fact that I can press play and enter in without sitting down. Each week introduces new content, and each day contains something fresh. Typically, the week focuses on a common theme, with a special Sabbath prayer set aside for Sundays.

The daily prayers are structured around the word “P.R.A.Y.” which stands for Pause, Rejoice/Reflect, Ask, and Yield. The opening “Pause” section offers the same prayer each day as a chance to quiet our minds and focus our attention on God’s presence. The “Rejoice/Reflect” section begins with a Psalm, focused on celebrating one specific aspect of God’s character. It continues to the main Scripture for the day, followed by a few paragraphs of insight. The “Ask” section introduces two questions for the listener to consider and pray about. The first question is focused on self, applying the Scripture to your own life. The second question focuses on praying for others and blessing them with the truth from the passage. The final “Yield” section includes a second reading of the same Scripture, followed by a prayer of surrender to God’s will once again. Each day ends with the same closing Trinitarian prayer, asking for help in the day ahead from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Lectio365 is an effective combination of repetition and relevancy. As a friend of mine often says: there is no formation without repetition. Repeating the same opening and closing prayers each day has resulted in memorization, and the words in these simple liturgies have become more powerful with time. Hearing the same Scripture passage read aloud twice has led me to think more carefully about the reading, rather than skimming through it quickly and letting small details pass by me. The goal isn’t to read Scripture just for the sake of checking something off a to-do list. The Scripture is to meditate on, allow it to soak in, and chew on it slowly.

While Lectio365 is created to be meditative, it is not just a dusty liturgy for the irrelevant religious. It adapts to current events, such as setting aside several weeks to pray for those affected by Covid-19 in the middle of a pre-planned Lent series. The writers willingly adjusted their focus to address issues that were weighing on the hearts of so many. The prayer prompts always invite prayers for others, such as praying for those dealing with job loss, praying for neighboring churches outside of our denomination, praying for governmental leaders, praying for individuals with cancer, etc. This app applies Scripture to the individual’s life, but also helps the listener to focus upward on God and outwards on the world around us.

Dedicating these 10 minutes per day has helped me in so many ways.  I have often found myself under the conviction of the Holy Spirit from the simple truths that the authors insightfully draw out from the Word. I have received comfort and strength, even aware that others are lifting me in prayer through this app. When I wander into anxious thoughts and arrogance, this app has helped to refocus and realign me under God’s Kingship. I thank God for the creators of this profound and yet straightforward tool. I leave you with the daily closing prayer, taken directly from the Lectio365 app:

“Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.
Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet.
Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.
Amen.”

written by Captain Olivia Munn-Shirsath, Corps Officer, Time Square Corps, USA East