Interview with Anne Le Tissier, author of Dwell

Anne, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Guernsey (in the Channel Islands) and lived there until I moved to London with my husband and daughter when Neil was called to train for Baptist ministry. After he qualified, we moved to north Kent for ten years for his first pastorate, during which time my daughter married the loveliest of men. We then spent seven years in Sutton Coldfield before moving again to our current home in South Worcestershire. During this period, I’ve been blessed with four gorgeous grandsons.

It was while travelling solo on a “round the world ticket” in my early twenties, including a six-month Discipleship Training Course with YWAM in New Zealand and India, that God lit the kindling of a dream to write devotional material. One of my YWAM tutors also spoke prophetically of a preaching and teaching ministry, though it took many years before either of these callings came into being. God calls and equips, but so often there’s also a time of preparation both in character, situation and gifting.

The ethos I’ve carried for these ministries was inspired, from the outset, by the Holy Spirit highlighting Nehemiah 8:8 to my heart; helping people to understand God’s truth in ways they can apply to their everyday lives. I do this through books, bible-study notes, articles, blogs, and by speaking at Christian conferences, Sunday services, Church Away Weekends…and more. I have always been drawn to prayer: personal, intercessory and pastoral, but I am also involved with prison ministry and services accessible to adults with additional needs.

To relax, I enjoy reading, growing my own veg, chatting to my chickens, hill walking, and preparing special meals to relax over with friends.

Why did you decide to write Dwell?

For many years, I had been using the practice of dwelling in one verse of Scripture for a week (or more), which had proved unexpectedly powerful and transformational; for example, on my attitudes, responses, priorities and perspective, on how I thought about myself and others, and on how I could grow to become more Christlike.

In 2018 during a period of time-out for extended rest and prayerful reflection, I was in the car with my husband. As we slowed down to stop at a junction, I clearly recall turning to him and saying: “I think God is prompting me to write a book about dwelling in one verse of Scripture, based on Colossians 3:16, and I’d like it to be called ‘Dwell’!

Who have you written this book for?

Dwell is for anyone who longs for their Bible reading to increasingly shift from head knowledge to heart knowledge; from moving beyond simply informing the mind to permeating their life and releasing its promised power.

You may have been a Christian believer for years but feel flat from your Bible reading, and long for deeper connection with God. Conversely, you may be new to the faith and not yet conversant with God through Scripture; overwhelmed by the size of the text or struggling to find its relevance to your daily reality. Or else, you may be like me, longing to hear from God in fresh in ways as you seek him in his Word in the ups and downs of life.

Most of us will use Dwell as a companion to regular, lengthier Bible-reading, but some of us are in a season where we struggle to read for long, if at all; parents of young children, for example, or anyone struggling with health issues. Dwell offers a bridge to help you reflect and respond to at least one verse each week.

There are lots of devotional books available, what makes your book different?

While there are plenty of daily Bible-reading devotional books, they move from one passage of Scripture to another each day. Dwell, however, keeps the reader in just one verse or short passage for an entire week, encouraging deeper reflection on what God is teaching and revealing to them, and offering ways in which they may respond before moving on to a different verse.

Likewise, with books written for readers to pray though the Bible in a year, each day introduces a new text rather than taking time to dwell for longer. Dwell offers ideas on how to reflect on, respond to, pray through and apply the truth of the verse in different ways, while giving time for it to root itself in the memory before moving on to another.

Also, while some books focus on detailed explanations of practices such as Lectio Divina or Ignatian Contemplation, Dwell guides the reader in using these practices without them first having to learn about them. I find their history and explanations quite interesting, but I am aware that not everyone does!

You use a variety of methods to ‘dwell’ in Scripture. Can you tell us a little about a few that you use and why they are so important?

Dwelling with a verse or short passage for a week has been the most powerfully transforming practice I have used to read, reflect and respond to God through his Word. In fact, having used this practice for many years, I now often find myself dwelling in a verse for a number of weeks as the Holy Spirit leads me, allowing the richness, power, reassurance and hope of God’s word to infuse my being at even deeper levels.

I also use a daily reading plan that my church provides, where a chapter is read six days of each week, rotating through different genres (Gospels, History, Epistles, Law, Wisdom, Prophets). This has replaced my previous practice of reading through the Bible in a year, every five years, then selecting my own choice of books in the interim years. Consequently, I am now constantly read through the Bible but at a slower pace which enables me to pause and respond to what the Holy Spirit is highlighting. It is also important as it stops me choosing only my favoured books or bypassing the ones I find trickier! After all, Timothy wrote: ‘All [emphasis mine] Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ 2 Timothy 3:16

I also appreciate Ignatian Contemplation, especially when I have space on my weekly Sabbath or an occasional day of retreat, to pause even longer and immerse myself in the story. It is important for me as it opens the door of my soul yet further, inviting God to move in me through his Word as he pleases. Likewise, with Lectio Divina, it gives space for the Holy Spirit to highlight specific words or phrases to chew on.

Can you give us an example of ‘dwelling in Scripture’ in your life? How did this change you?

Very many years ago, a friend had a habit of being able to make me feel very small and inadequate with their barbed comments. At first, I would smile sweetly then later weep in private. Unfortunately, however, as the scar tissue hardened, I learned to give as good as I got! I would react unkindly, sometimes in spite, then later rather than weeping in tears I’d be weeping in shame, desperately seeking Jesus for forgiveness. This inevitable cycle became exhausting. No matter how ‘godlier’ I determined to be in response, I continued to fail at each hurdle.

A time came when my friend asked to stay, not just for a day but for an entire week! I imagined familiar scenarios, prayerfully practicing a right response, but as soon as we sat down for our first lunch, I crashed badly.

Later, while seeking God for forgiveness, I opened my hands in a gesture of surrender, asking him to fill me with his love as my love was so woefully inadequate, and to work in me his humility and compassion. I rested with him for a while, then found myself asking for wisdom to help me respond with grace for the coming day, and immediately two verses came to mind. ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength … The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 30:15; 32:17. Where my efforts to love had been disastrous, I sensed Jesus guiding me to take my focus off the offender and on to him. By doing so, I would find rest for my soul as I trusted him to deal with them in his own way.

I repeated these verses daily for the rest of my friend’s visit; in fact, hourly during times that the conversation turned against me. God’s living words to my soul stilled my tongue and focused my thoughts and responses on Christ’s righteousness, rather than someone else’s imperfections. His words filled my heart with love, compassion and understanding for the one he loved, and in turn, I experienced his promised fruit – peace; the fruit of peace with myself, peace with God, and peace with the offender.

How did you go about choosing the specific Bible passages to focus on?

That’s a good question with there being so many verses to choose from!

I always prayed before beginning a new week of reflections, asking the Holy Spirit to guide me to a verse that would speak into the lives of readers, and very often, one would come to mind.

Sometimes I felt led to unpack a verse that had been significant to me when I’d dwelt with it in the past or was live to me in the present. At other times I felt prompted by conversations with a friend, an email, or something I had read online describing the struggles people face and would seek God’s inspiration to speak into those things.

I was writing soon after the covid pandemic when anxiety was still rife; anxiety that continues to be prevalent with so much global upheaval. We all face problems, so a helping hand to guide someone back into a place of peace, reassurance and hope in God, is a hallmark of a number of weeks’ verses.

I was also keen to have weeks of focused praise to balance out weeks of self-reflection, plus times to respond to God’s heart for the poor and oppressed. Verses were therefore chosen to encourage the readers’ response.

What would you say to someone who is currently finding it hard to engage with God’s Word?

To encourage drawing closer to God in meaningful relationship, use, where possible, a hard copy of the Bible, rather than an app on your phone. Holding a Bible or having it rest on your lap is a tactile reminder of God’s presence with you through his life-giving words.

I would also recommend you consider a verse or short passage of Scripture that is or has been meaningful to you, whether for its comfort, guidance, a promise or an affirmation of God’s character, for example. Dwell i.e. reflect, pray and be with that verse for as long as you need to know God through his words. Ask him to breathe its life-giving quality into your heart, mind and soul. This can also be very powerful if you dwell with a particular psalm over a period of time, for example Psalm 23, 25, 27, 31, 63 or 91, which have all proved deeply meaningful to me in certain seasons of life.

What was the most challenging element of writing this book?

The breadth and depth of research I had to dig into which never appears in the book, to ensure I was accountable theologically, and that I wasn’t unpacking a verse out of context.

And what was the most rewarding element of writing this book?

The joy of passing on to others a practice of engaging with God in his Word that has proved so profound in my own relationship with and response to him.

What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book?

A greater experience of God’s life which is infused into our being through his Word; an intimate, transformational and powerful experience which will deepen their love for him, their devotion to him, and their felt security in his presence and promises to proactively respond to him.

In one sentence, how would you describe Dwell?

Dwell helps you make yourself at home in God’s Word as it makes its home in you.

Is there anything we can pray for you?

Thank you for asking. Please pray that I would continue to know how to choose God’s life and remain true to his ways and his purposes.