By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Nine years ago God led me to start using the Stations of the Cross for personal devotional use. Previously I had thought of this as a Catholic practice that wasn’t well-suited for evangelical Christians.
But as I walked the stations and stopped at each one to picture Jesus with his cross in that gospel scene, meditate on Scripture, and pray I experienced God working powerfully in my life. I realized why countless Christ-followers had been using the stations for centuries before there Catholics and Protestants.
By walking with Jesus in prayer from one station to the next God brought healing to my heart and strength to my soul. I grew to appreciate the work of Christ on the cross for me and (we usually miss this part) I learned to take up my cross and follow Jesus in his beautiful way of relying on God as his Abba in suffering and blessing those that curse him.
Take a Prayer Walk with Me!
I started inviting other people to take prayer walks with me along the Stations of the Cross and I shared my Bible meditations and prayers with them. I did this on retreats, in “virtual prayer walks” in church services, and on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem where Jesus carried his cross for us 2,000 years ago.
Most of these people had never done the Stations of the Cross. I found that person after person was deeply impacted. Many cried with new realizations of how much Jesus loved them and how they, empowered by his grace, could become more like him.
An Evangelical Adaptation
The fruit of my prayer walks with Jesus is a devotional booklet I wrote: Follow Jesus on the Stations of the Cross: Enter a Gospel Scene to Participate in Resurrection Life.
At each of the 15 ancient stations I use artist’s pictures of scenes from Christ’s passion, Scripture passages, devotional applications for daily life hurts and struggles, reflection questions, and prayers to help you live by the words: “I praise you Lord Jesus Christ. By your cross you gave us your life and showed us how to live.”
I’d like to share this 32-page e-booklet to help you apply the rhythms of Good Friday and Easter Sunday into your life so that you can better participate in the resurrection of Christ everyday!
To receive this resource:
- Give a donation to Soul Shepherding for any amount
- Send an e-mail with your request to Bill@SoulShepherding.org
Blessings,
Bill
Tax-deductible donations to Soul Shepherding support pastors, pastor’s wives, missionaries, and other Christian leaders receiving psychotherapy and spiritual mentoring.
Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org
