A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: Tuesday 5/8

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:
The fool has says in his heart: "There is no God above." ...God looks down from heaven to see if any are wise, if any seek God... Psalm 53

I don't want to think myself a fool, Lord,
but I know it might be good for me to ask myself a few questions...
   "Do I live, do I act, do I speak
      as one who believes there's a God above?
   Do I think, do I choose, do I judge
      as one who believes there's a God above?
   Do I give, do I share, do I forgive
as one who believes there's a God above?"
It's not enough for me just to say, "I believe in God above..."
The question I need to face is this:
   "What difference does it make in my day-to-day life
to I say I believe in God above?"
It's easy to say "I believe!" but much harder to live as a believer...
I'm often good with the words - not so good with the deeds...
But you know what, Lord? I do believe in you:
   in my heart of hearts I believe you there, hovering over my life...
But help me see, Lord, that you're not just "up there..."
Help me see that you're all around me:
      above me, below me, beside me, before me, beneath me...
         and within me, you are within in my heart...
And if, indeed, you're in my heart
   then how I live, act and speak,
      how I think, choose and judge,
         how I give, share and forgive
   must all be colored, shaped and tempered
      by your presence, your word, your wisdom...
When you look for the wise, Lord,
   you look not just for those who say they believe in you
      but for those who live according to what they believe...
Help me, a believer, live what I believe, Lord...
Let me take some time today to renew my belief in you
   and to ask you to help me to live as I believe...
Give me a time and place to be quiet today
   and help me pray...
In the stillness and in the peace
   let me know that you are near
because I believe that you are God above
   and I believe you are God beside me...


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.