Many of us want to spend more time with God. We have good intentions. Start out strong. But after a few days or changes in schedules or sick kids or life in general, we forget/postpone/purposely choose to delete spending precious moments with God. I really do believe God understands this common human dilemma but I sincerely want and desire to spend more time with him. We don’t make time; we have difficulty in managing time. In reality we have no control over time nor the disruptions in life. Life happens. Our job is to be faithful and keep returning to God. I have been thinking about the difficulty in keeping my time with God. Life just interferes, interrupts and intercepts my mind and heart. Here are five tips/observations I have been considering when trying to find time with God. Make the intention anyway. Find your basic rhythm. I know when I start the day with God, the day goes better or at least I have a more peaceful attitude towards whatever comes my way. I love to … [Read more...]
Three Thanksgiving Prayers
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. No matter where you live may these prayers bring you hope, peace and love today. O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry; When I have work, help me to remember the jobless; When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all; When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer, And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency; bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to help; By word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted. Amen. Samuel F. Pugh Give me a good digestion, Lord, and also something to digest; Give me a healthy body, Lord, and sense to keep it at its best. Give me a healthy mind, good Lord, to keep the good and pure in sight; Which, seeing, sin, is not appalled, but finds a way to set it right. Give me a mind that is not bound, that does not whimper, whine or sigh. Don't let me worry overmuch about the fussy thing called "I." Give … [Read more...]
Prayer – Quote of the Week – John Baillie
Teach me O God so to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin. Let me use disappointment as material for patience; Let me use success as material for thankfulness; Let me us suspense as material for perseverance; Let me use danger as material for courage; Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering: Let me use praise as material for humility: Let me use pleasures as material for temperance; Let me use pains as material for endurance. John Baillie … [Read more...]
Soften Us – Prayer – Edwina Gateley
O living God, soften us! Let the fire of your love thaw the frost within us. Let the light of your justice sear away our blindness, Let the grace of your compassion heal our hardened spirits. O living God, soften us! That, flowing with your grace, we be impelled to face the world in bold compassion, that, driven to justice, we may dare to cry aloud for the little ones, the raped, the beaten the imprisoned, and the hungry. O living God, soften us! Sweep us forward in a Mighty Wave of Mercy to heal our darkened world. Edwina Gateley … [Read more...]
God Is At Work Within – Lectio Divina
“For it is God who is at work with you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2: 13 So often, Lord I think of myself as a failure, a flawed human being. While that is so true, how reassuring are these words that you are at work within me. I am incomplete, imperfect, raw and unfinished. But You, the Great Carpenter, take your hand tools and like Gibbs in NCIS, gently shape me to Your original divine blueprint. Shaving off inadequacies and smoothing bumps and bruises, your grace continues to hone my heart and chisel my character to be more like You. All is not lost. All is not yet done. All of me, being slowly fashioned into a masterpiece, to live with you for eternity. My job is to be open and willing to obey your leadings in this process. To stay within your carpenter’s shop and surrender to your tooling. To submit to your vise and hammer and accept the work of the Master. Thank you, Oh Holy Artist, for your work within me. … [Read more...]
How to Listen in Prayer
Many of us want to hear God better. We deeply desire to shake the water out of our ears and listen in prayer more intently. There are no tricks or magic methods to automatically open the passage to God, but I have learned a few ways that help me create a quiet space for him. Most of the time the ways hush and silent myself and my inner chatting in order to hear what he has been saying to me all along. 1. First, ask God to help you hear him better. Often we focus on our frustration of not hearing him or prefer to whine and complain about his absence instead of simply asking for his voice. 2. Practice Stillness – oh, so hard, isn’t it? A recent report told that some people preferred an electrical shock over sitting still for 15 minutes!! “People consistently said that the short thinking period was not enjoyable and they found it difficult to concentrate. Most people said they’d rather be listening to music or using their smartphones.” We need to retrain ourselves for quiet … [Read more...]
Why Pray? Quote by C. S. Lewis
Why pray? Why do you pray? How does prayer affect your life? These thought-provoking questions help us dig deeper into the purpose of prayer in our live. Think about it. Ponder the quote below from C. S. Lewis about why we pray. Journal your reasons for prayer. Ask others and engage in a conversation about prayer. I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me. -C.S. Lewis What do you think as you read this quote? Certain words jump out to me and I love the passion in the first line about "because I can't help myself." I know what he means but often my prayer life isn't at that level of humble thirst for God. The word "flow" touches me. The concept of prayer flowing freely between this tiny human spirit and the Holy Spirit of God - all the time, in all circumstances - inspires me to want that depth of prayer in my life. And that prayer … [Read more...]
Prayer
Dear Friends, this isn't my typical Sunday blog post but have been traveling and got behind in my writing. Then today I stumbled across this lovely prayer that touched my heart. Perhaps it will resonate with you too. Blessings! Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and myself is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon. The crescent is very beautiful and perhaps that is all one like I am should or could see; but what I am afraid of, dear God, is that my self shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing. I do not know you God because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside. Flannery O'Connor … [Read more...]