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:
In green pastures you let me graze,
beside still waters you lead me,
you refresh my soul,
you guide me along the right path...
- Psalm 27
I've known your green pastures,
in peaceful times, in the company of friends,
when all was well...
I know how still waters,
cool and refreshing, reflect the sky's beauty
when all is well...
And I've known the right path:
I've walked it in peace, I've walked it to joy,
when all was well...
Then comes the hour, the day, the season
when all's not well, or so it seems:
it sometimes seems things never were
nor ever will again be well...
In green pastures I find you right away
but on the rocky plain
I don't know where you hide...
I see your face on the water's silvery surface
but in storm-tossed waves
I find no trace of where you've gone...
On the highway I know you're at my side,
but on the byway I miss your guiding hand
and often lose my way...
Still, in pasture or desert, all's well, all is well:
for Lord, you're there
when I see you and when I don't...
In calm or storm, all's well, all is well:
for you, Lord, walk the waters
to offer me your saving hand...
On the path or in a ditch, all's well, all is well:
for you, Lord, never leave my side,
you go before me always...
All's well when I trust, Lord,
that all is in your hands
and I am in your heart...
All's well when I believe, Lord,
that with you at my side
there's nothing I need fear...
All's well when I hope you'll see me through the days, Lord,
when all's not well,
when all's not well at all...
Help me to trust when my faith is weak;
show my heart what my eyes fail to see;
quicken my step when I'm frozen in fear...
Help me to hope beyond promises broken;
be a friend to my soul, Lord, when I fear no one cares;
show me the way when I'm lost in the dark...
Help me to trust that all shall be well when all's not well:
help me to trust then in you, Lord, that all shall be well,
that all shall be well,
that all manner of things shall be well...
In the quiet of my prayer today,
help me to trust that all shall be well...
In the stillness of this very moment,
help me believe that all shall be well...
In the peace of your presence here, strengthen my hope
that all shall be well, Lord, that all shall be well,
that all manner of things shall be well...
To ponder and pray over...
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
I've known your green pastures,
in peaceful times, in the company of friends,
when all was well...
I know how still waters,
cool and refreshing, reflect the sky's beauty
when all is well...
And I've known the right path:
I've walked it in peace, I've walked it to joy,
when all was well...
Then comes the hour, the day, the season
when all's not well, or so it seems:
it sometimes seems things never were
nor ever will again be well...
In green pastures I find you right away
but on the rocky plain
I don't know where you hide...
I see your face on the water's silvery surface
but in storm-tossed waves
I find no trace of where you've gone...
On the highway I know you're at my side,
but on the byway I miss your guiding hand
and often lose my way...
Still, in pasture or desert, all's well, all is well:
for Lord, you're there
when I see you and when I don't...
In calm or storm, all's well, all is well:
for you, Lord, walk the waters
to offer me your saving hand...
On the path or in a ditch, all's well, all is well:
for you, Lord, never leave my side,
you go before me always...
All's well when I trust, Lord,
that all is in your hands
and I am in your heart...
All's well when I believe, Lord,
that with you at my side
there's nothing I need fear...
All's well when I hope you'll see me through the days, Lord,
when all's not well,
when all's not well at all...
Help me to trust when my faith is weak;
show my heart what my eyes fail to see;
quicken my step when I'm frozen in fear...
Help me to hope beyond promises broken;
be a friend to my soul, Lord, when I fear no one cares;
show me the way when I'm lost in the dark...
Help me to trust that all shall be well when all's not well:
help me to trust then in you, Lord, that all shall be well,
that all shall be well,
that all manner of things shall be well...
In the quiet of my prayer today,
help me to trust that all shall be well...
In the stillness of this very moment,
help me believe that all shall be well...
In the peace of your presence here, strengthen my hope
that all shall be well, Lord, that all shall be well,
that all manner of things shall be well...
To ponder and pray over...
When have been the times in my life when all was well?
What's not well in my life today?
Will I trust that all can be well when I'm with the Lord
even when things around me aren't well at all?
Will I hope and pray for that today?
What will I ask of the Lord today?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
From this prayer time, what word or phrase will I keep with me
to carry through the rest of my day?
(After you spend some time with these questions,
pray the reflection above one more time...)
Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day. 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.
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I needed this today - thank you. And it isn't even anything big that is "not well". Sometimes it is just an unsettled feeling. My phrase for today "all shall be well"
ReplyDeleteYour prayers are all poetic and beautiful, but today's is particularly so!! Thank you.....again!
ReplyDeleteAt some point, prayer needs to lead to action. Asking God for His understanding and mercy over and over, and then making no changes in your life to conform yourself more closely to what you know is God's will, is a useless if somewhat 'poetic' enterprise.
ReplyDeleteAre you in the grips of an addiction? Habitual sin? Have you abandoned your vocation or betrayed the trust of someone who trusted you? If addiction, seek help. In sin, avoid the near occasions of sin and flee temptation. If you have violated trust, apologize to the person and make what reparation you can.
I am thinking of the term "cheap grace" which is a feel-good grace that doesn't demand sacrifice. There is no salvation without the Cross, no advancement in the spiritual life without effort. What is lacking in these daily reflections, in my mind, is a focus on sacrifice and reparation.
Mary
Thanks, Mary, for your unique response to my daily prayer posts.
ReplyDeleteMore often than not, I learn more from my critics than I do from my fans. This may be a case in point.