Where do you go when your soul needs room to breathe? Duncanson's Valley Pasture holds the landscape as sanctuary — vast, luminous, and gently asking us to rest. This prayer invites us into stillness not as escape, but as the very ground where we are found.

Psalm 23

Use this guide for prayer and contemplation. Read slowly, pausing as needed for silence and reflection.

Opening

Let your body settle into the place where you are. Let your feet rest on the ground. Relax your shoulders and your neck.

Breathe in slowly. Hold it for a moment. And then release that breath.

Claim the space you are in as a safe space now.

Reflection on Contemplative Prayer

As we move to prayer today, let us think about places of refuge. Some refuges are places we seek out for rest. Some are places others need in order to be safe. In the valley and under the shadowed places, God does not leave us.

As you gaze at the artwork, let it become a doorway into prayer—a place to notice, to feel, to speak with God, and to receive what you need.

Scripture

Psalm 23 (Inclusive Bible)

God, you are my shepherd. I want nothing more. You let me lie down in green meadows; you lead me beside restful waters; you refresh my soul. You guide me to lush pastures for the sake of your name. Even if I'm surrounded by shadows of death, I fear no danger, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff—they give me courage.

You spread a table for me in the presence of my enemies, and you anoint my head with oil—my cup overflows. Only goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in your house, God, for days without end.

Holy Spirit, meet us here as we listen to these words. Lead us beside the restful waters you know we need, especially where stress has gathered in us and where our freedom feels stifled.

Artwork for Prayerful Reflection

Valley Pasture — Robert S. Duncanson

Let this landscape be a place of refuge for you. Notice the field in the foreground, the water, the hills and mountains in the distance, and the sky above.

As you gaze, allow God to meet you here—where you long for shelter, courage, and renewal.

Reflection Questions

As you take in the whole painting, what draws your attention first?

As you look at the field in the foreground, what details do you notice, and what do they stir in you?

As your eyes move toward the water, the hills, and the mountains, where do you sense rest, and where do you sense shadow?

As you linger with the sky, what emotions rise in you—peace, longing, grief, gratitude, or something else?

When you hear, “God, you are my shepherd,” what part of your life wants to be gathered into that care today?

What words from Psalm 23 speak to you right now, and why do they feel alive in this moment?

Where do you notice the presence of God as you gaze—within the painting, within your body, or within your present circumstances?

What questions are being raised in you as you sit with this refuge, and how would you like to ask them of God?

As you listen in silence, what response begins to form—through an image, a phrase, a feeling, or a quiet knowing?

What guidance do you sense God giving you for the next few days, and what might it look like to let it soak into your being?

Closing

God our refuge, Shepherd of our souls, lead us into the rest you promise. Meet us in the valleys, steady us when shadows gather, and guide us into the next faithful step. Only goodness and love will follow us all the days of our lives. Amen.