8/7/12

Praying 10 minutes today: WEDNESDAY 8/8


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:   
What are humans
   that you are mindful of them,
      mere mortals that you care for them?
Yet, you have made them
   little less than a god,
      crowned them with glory and honor...
- Psalm 8




(Before moving on to the reflection below,
   spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)

Who am I, Lord? 
Who am I that you should be mindful of me?
   that you should know me?
Who am I that you should care for me?
   that you should care about me?

Sometimes it's hard to believe that you know me, Lord,
   that you would recognize my face  
      among all the faces of humankind, 
         all the faces of history...

And on those days when I don't like my own face,
   it's even harder to believe 
      that you would ever choose to look at me...

In the history of the universe my life is but a nanosecond
   and yet you know every move I make,
      every thought I have, every word I speak, 
         every hope I dream, every fear I carry, 
            every ache I bear, every wrong I do, every joy I find
               and every doubt I have about you and me...

Yet, you have made me little less than a god...

Indeed, so you have, Lord! 

You have given me a mind that thinks and learns and knows,
   a mind that reasons and grasps and understands.
You have given me a mind to know you!
How amazing, Lord, that this mind of mine
  should be capable of knowing that you are,
     that you reveal yourself to me,
        that you invite me to know you...

How generous you are, Lord, 
   that you give me not only a heart but a soul:
a soul that mirrors your divine image, 
   a soul alive with your Spirirt, 
      a soul blessed by your Spirit's gifts...

How extraordinary, Lord,
   that you would desire, that you would choose
      to make of my soul 
         your own dwelling place...
that you should want to live 
   within the humble confines of my life,
your presence crowning me
   with glory and honor...

You have created me in your own image, Lord,
   and so, indeed, you have made me little less than a god...

I'm a mere mortal, Lord:
   this body of mine, this shack of a dwelling,
      will one day weaken and fall and turn to dust
and yet you make of such a place
   a home for your love and your grace,
      a tabernacle of your presence and peace...

If for a moment I fully understood what I believe, Lord,
   I would burst from knowing who it is 
      who lives in my heart,
         who gives me life, who knows me, 
            who's mindful of me, who cares for me...

In the quiet of my prayer, Lord, 
   open me to your presence 
      dwelling, today, in my mind and heart and in my soul...

If only for a moment, give me a glimpse, 
   let me see the image of your face 
      mirrored in my soul...

In the stillness, help me know that within me,
   night and day, asleep and awake,
      there dwells the Creator of the universe
         who's mindful of me and cares for me,
         who suffers with me and rejoices with me,
         who cries with me and laughs with me,
         who calls and forgives me,
         who helps me and heals me,
         who dies with me and rises with me...

Fill my soul, Lord, fill my mind and heart, 
   fill my body, fill my whole being 
      with your presence 
and let your peace flow all through me 
   that I might know how great you are 
      and how great your love,
         dwelling deep within me...

To ponder and pray over...
In what ways have I known that God is mindful of me?
How have I known that God cares for me?
What are the signs of God dwelling within me 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?

(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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