A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes a day: Sunday 5/6

Find a quiet time and place to pray... take a few deep breaths... be still and know that God is near...

A word to reflect on:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains: from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming, both now and forever. Psalm 121

Sometimes things go well, Lord,
   but sometimes, well, it all goes south...
And when that happens,
   I'm sometimes quick to blame you
      for my hard times, my losses, my mistakes, my disappointment...
I look up to the mountains or across the waves
   or into the depths of my hearts and I wonder,
      "Why didn't the Lord make this right? better? easier?"
Remind me, Lord, that while you always guard me from evil,
   you never promised me a road without potholes
or a rose without thorns...
(And don't let me forget
   that you were spared no suffering yourself...)
You guard my soul and you've got my back
   but you don't guarantee me a life without pain...
What you promise is to be with me in the hard times
   to see me through them, not around them...
No matter how many burdens weigh on my heart,
   you're always there to help me carry them...
I want to believe that you guard all my comings and goings
   so open my eyes to your presence by my side
and let me know you're there, every step along the way,
   on good days and bad days, from morning to night...
Thanks for hearing me out, Lord...
When I'm venting all my gripes,
      keep me grateful for your help and grace...
Slow me down today, Lord, and in the quiet,
   help me see beyond my hurt's horizon
      and help me trust that peace will once again be mine...
In the stillness, hear my prayer, Lord,
   and let me know that you are by my side...

Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day and a link to the Lenten series from which these daily posts originated. If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others. You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.