Image from Sugar Mountain Farm
One day last week I was speaking with a friend about prayer and experiencing the presence of God. With a mix of exasperation and desire, my friend said, "I want to tell him, 'Just show up in my life today!'"
That's a good Advent exclamation and those words have stayed with me through these first days of the new liturgical year and have taken the form of a prayer...
O good God, good morning!
OK - I'm going to try this again.
Look, I want to get to know you better.
I want to know you're there.
No, not there -
I want to know you're here!
And I want to know that you know me
and care about me.
Show up in my life today, Lord!
Get in my car and ride to work with me.
Be quiet, be talkative - just be there
and let me know you're there.
When we get to my work
come in and spend the day with me.
Have a cup of coffee with me.
Take a break with me.
Sit with me at lunch: join me!
Shout in my face or whisper:
just say something and let me hear it.
Speak to me:
a sentence, a phrase, a word, a grunt.
Just break the awful silence
and say something - to me.
Unplug the ears of my heart:
break through my doubt,
my stubbornness, my pride
and let some sound of your presence
echo within me,
anywhere inside me.
Speak, Lord...
and help me hear and trust
what you say to me;
and help me trust that you hear
what I say to you.
Amen.
Other Morning Prayers here and here.
It would be so very lovely if you prayed this prayer, and you actually DID feel as though God was right there beside you. I imagine you have to be open to Him to feel his presence. Can't hurt to try.
ReplyDeleteI just want to share what happened after I prayed the prayer. I went shopping, thinking of the prayer and how I might recognize Jesus if he was near me. After shopping I quickly emptied my shopping cart of presents into my car. I was hurrying to get out of the cold and snow! Went home and realized my pocketbook was missing. I had left it in the shopping cart! All my checks, credit cards, money ... was in that pocketbook. I thought of the prayer, and thought, uh oh... God must be trying to tell me something... and he's definitely not happy with me. When I got inside my home, lo and behold, there was a message from a woman who found my pocketbook! She said she could only wait 20 minutes. I raced out the door and once in the car made a phone call to a friend to tell her the story. She said she was shopping right next door to where I had to meet the woman, and would pick up the pocketbook for me so I didn't have to go on the icy roads again. Because of this strangers kindness, I was saved tons of aggravation and stress. Because of my friends kindness .. another icy drive.
ReplyDeleteGod worked in a mysterious way to show He was right beside me... listening to me, and caring for me. I just have to have more faith!
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ReplyDeleteBeautiful story, Grace! Your screen name is apt for you and for how you understood today's adventure. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteConcord Pastor, your blog is helping Him show up in my life each day. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love the prayers, Concord Pastor. Sometimes I can't make up prayers but only can say the ones that I know by heart.
ReplyDeleteThis is an especially good one. I will try to say it each day. Even when i don't I know the Lord is riding withe me each and every day.
Thanks.