For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the 5 love languages. For those of you who may not be familiar with the love languages, let me enlighten you! In Gary Chapman's book, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, he describes five unique styles of communicating love which include; words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, gift giving, and physical touch. Not everyone communicates love in the same way, and likewise, people have different ways they prefer to receive love. I am always asking my close friends and family about their love language so I can assure that I am loving them to the fullest degree in a way that they know how to receive.
I promise that I am not a narcissist as I admit to you that my love language is ‘words of affirmation.’ I feel so loved when I am complimented or recognized on a job well done. I love hearing that I am appreciated and my heart is full when a friend will randomly send a text saying that they were thinking of me!
Because my love language revolves around words and affirmation, my absolute favorite way to pray is with Sacred Scripture. Scripture is words of love and direction that are spoken directly from our Lord.
Each day I spend in prayer is different. Within the last year I have really developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit and I find myself relying on his direction during prayer. There are days that I will read the daily mass readings, or read a devotional and meditate on the corresponding bible passages. There are days that I simply flip to a random page in the bible and pray with the verse that my eyes land on.
I know that reading scripture can be daunting for some, and it was for me at first. A simple way to start is by reading the daily gospel from mass and begin to learn about the daily life of Jesus. Close your eyes and place yourself in the story. Which character are you? What do you see? How do you feel? I always journal about my experiences.
I also love praying with scripture by focusing on the meaning of each word. I find so much depth and consolation when I pray through a verse, word by word. It helps me call to mind a situation in my life that the Lord is calling to light and shows me how he is working through that situation. One again, I spend time journaling about each word and write a prayer back to God.
I love flipping through my old journals and reading all of the affirmations the Lord has given me in the past. He is a living God and wants an interactive relationship with us. During times of decision making, heartache, joy, and fear, the Lord has affirmed me through scripture when I bring it to him. Many times it is a single word or verse, but He always caters to my love language and affirms me through words.
I challenge you to learn about your love language. There is an online quiz you can take if you simply Google the 5 love languages. Once you learn about your personal love language, you can begin to recognize how God is Loving you in such a specific and special way. Maybe your love language is quality time and spending time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration is your favorite way to pray. Maybe your love language is physical touch and you physically feel the presence of our Lord every time you receive Jesus in the Eucharist as Mass.
When I ponder how the Lord primarily speaks to me through words and scripture, I am captured with a sense of uniqueness, knowing he is loving me in the exact way that I need. As I mentioned he wants an interactive relationship with all of us, so why not invite him to know your love language?
Until next time~ Your sister in Christ,
Abby
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