A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 Minutes a Day: Fourth Week/Monday

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Be still... and know that I am God...

Half of this year's Lent is history...
half of this year's Lent stretches ahead of me...

I'm trying, for 10 minutes a day, to pray:
to find a quiet place, alone,
to be still...
and to know that God is near...

Some days it's been difficult to find those 10 minutes,
though God knows (and this is embarrassing)
that I almost always can find 10 minutes or more,
that I can find find hours,
to do other things and take care of other business...

And I'm pretty good, at least now and again,
at finding time to waste
on matters of no consequence at all...

So today, at the half-way mark,
I renew my resolve, my pledge, my promise,
my desire,
to find 10 minutes a day to pray...

Do I have a regular time for prayer?

Can I make time to be alone, with God?

Do I have a quiet place to go to?

Have I asked God to help me settle down within?

Have I asked God to help me be still?

Here's a little "review course" on praying for 10 minutes a day:

To pray is to recognize that I am in God's presence,
in the presence of God who wants me, who seeks me,
who desires to be with me.

To pray is to be still,
that I might know the Lord's presence
and hear the Lord's voice.

His voice might be the silence in which I sit...

His voice might be my heartbeat, the pulse of his love within me...

His voice might be my breath, the spirit of his life sustaining me...

His voice might speak in the scripture I read or the verse I pray by heart...

His voice might be the consolation of knowing he is with me,
that he is always with me,
that he will never leave my side...

Keep in mind that every time we go to pray,
it is at the Spirit's prompting...

Keep in mind that when we go to pray, we need not look for the Lord
- he's there ahead of us, waiting for us to join him...

Keep in mind that when we pray
even our confused, clumsy ramblings are music to God's ears...

Keep in mind that to simply sit in the presence of the Lord in silence
is, itself, a beautiful prayer...

If you're not sure what to say, try simply repeating the Lord's name,
slowly and prayerfully, "Jesus...   Jesus...   Jesus...   Jesus..."

And if you just can't seem to get started, here's...

A prayer to begin my prayer...

Lord Jesus:
you are here now,
always
and only
because you want me
and want to be with me.

Lord Jesus:
I am here now,
again
and only
because I want you
and want to be with you.

Lord Jesus,
help me surrender
to your love,
your mercy
and your Holy Spirit...

Be still... and know that I am God...

Are you new to "Praying 10 Minutes a Day in Lent" - or are you having trouble getting started? The first installment offers some thoughts on getting started, as do the subsequent posts in the series. So take a look and join us!