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:
Bless the Lord, my soul;
all my being bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, my soul;
do not forget the gifts of God
who pardons all your sins
and heals all your ills...
- Psalm 103
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
It's the words
all my being
that trip me up here, Lord...
Some days it's not all that easy
to bless and thank you with all my being
when at least a part of my being isn't up to it,
isn't up for blessing and thanking you;
when it's easy to forget your gifts and your mercy
because at the moment, my heart is someplace else...
Some days it's not easy to do anything with all my being,
when my mind and heart are consumed with worry,
with anxiety about yesterday
and with fear of tomorrow...
Some days my soul seems swallowed up in darkness,
too tired to search for the light I need to find...
I need you, Lord,
to help me find good memories in my being, in my soul:
memories of the all gifts you've given me
and of all the ways you've helped me,
and all the times you've raised my spirits
and lifted up my heart...
Help me praise and bless your name, Lord,
and find in you the hope I cannot give myself,
the blessings I long and pray for;
and your peace to bring my heart the joy I seek...
If I can't, this day, thank you with all my being, Lord,
- Psalm 103
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
It's the words
all my being
that trip me up here, Lord...
Some days it's not all that easy
to bless and thank you with all my being
when at least a part of my being isn't up to it,
isn't up for blessing and thanking you;
when it's easy to forget your gifts and your mercy
because at the moment, my heart is someplace else...
Some days it's not easy to do anything with all my being,
when my mind and heart are consumed with worry,
with anxiety about yesterday
and with fear of tomorrow...
Some days my soul seems swallowed up in darkness,
too tired to search for the light I need to find...
I need you, Lord,
to help me find good memories in my being, in my soul:
memories of the all gifts you've given me
and of all the ways you've helped me,
and all the times you've raised my spirits
and lifted up my heart...
Help me praise and bless your name, Lord,
and find in you the hope I cannot give myself,
the blessings I long and pray for;
and your peace to bring my heart the joy I seek...
If I can't, this day, thank you with all my being, Lord,
then help me bless you from the corner of my heart
where your Spirit's fire flickers and even now
has brought me to this time of prayer...
Let your Spirit's flame be a lamp for my steps,
leading me from darkness into light,
from the shadows of my fears to trust in you...
Deep within my soul, I know you'll never abandon me,
that when, with all my being, I fear I can't go on,
especially then, Lord, will you be there
to give me strength and hope,
to help me find the place where I can stand
and bless your holy name...
Bless the Lord, my soul;
In the quiet of this time for prayer, Lord,
all my being bless his holy name!
In the quiet of this time for prayer, Lord,
help me find the corner of my heart
where your Spirit breathes
and helps me give you thanks and praise...
In the stillness, Lord,
help me remember all your gifts:
your mercy and your pardon,
your faithful and abiding love,
and all the ways you've healed my heart
and mended my broken spirit...
I want to bless you, Lord,
with all my being,
I want to bless your holy name...
To ponder and pray over...
What worries, what fears, what concerns
keep me from praising God with all my being?
What memories might lift my spirit to help me praise God?
The Lord's Spirit is within me, ready to lift my heart:
will I invite the Spirit to lift me up?
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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