July-August 2026 - I Shall Not Want

Visio divina* invites us to encounter the Divine through prayerful consideration of and interaction with an image. Follow the steps below to include a few moments of divine seeing in your devotional time.

Look at I Shall Not Want on the cover of this issue of The Upper Room and let your eyes stay with the first thing that you see. Keep your attention on the part of the image that first catches your eye. Breathe slowly and deeply as you gaze at that part of the image for a minute or so.

Now take time to study every part of the image — the colors, the movement, the textures, the story being presented. Reflect on the image for a few moments.

Consider the following questions:

• Psalm 23:1 declares “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (KJV). What details of the painting best illustrate this statement for you? 
• What emotions do the colors and textures of this painting stir up in you? 
• If you were to illustrate Psalm 23, what other details would you add? Is anything missing from this depiction that you feel is central to the psalm? 
• As you study the foreground and background of this painting, what makes you curious? What questions would you ask the artist? 
• What prayers take form in you after reflecting on this image? Write them down or offer them to God.

*For more on visio divina, visit https://www.upperroom.org/resources/visio-divina

Cover art courtesy of Havenlight. ©Yongsung Kim. Prints of cover art are available from havenlight.com.