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 wait with longing for the Lord,
my soul waits for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak...
For with the Lord is kindness
and the fullness of redemption...
- Psalm 130
If anyone knows how my soul waits
it's you Lord, because you're the One I wait for:
yours is the face I search for when I'm alone,
yours is the voice whose word I strain to hear in my confusion,
yours is the presence I seek for comfort and relief,
yours is the company I long for through the chill of night
and the heat of day...
And I've been faithful in my waiting, Lord, in my longing:
more faithful than sentinels who long for daybreak
and the end of their long night's watch...
I've been faithful when only by a thread did I hold on
and trust you'd not abandon me...
I've waited for you, Lord,
when I thought you had ceased to wait for me...
I've been faithful
even when I thought my faith was gone...
And I've waited because in my heart of hearts I do believe
that you'll come to my aid, that in my most difficult days
your light is just ahead,
your warmth waits to hold me,
your voice whispers a word of hope,
your hand's so gentle on my shoulder that I don't yet feel it,
your presence so mysterious I've yet to find it,
your faithfulness so deep it envelops me...
I've waited, Lord, because in my heart of hearts I do believe
that you'll not leave me on my own,
that on every side you're there, always,
in those who love and care for me...
I remember, Lord, in the depths of my soul,
that you once feared abandonment yourself:
in the garden, on the night before you died
and on the Cross where you waited and longed for help
when those who stayed beside you, stood powerless,
save for the love that welled up in their hearts for you...
I wait for your light through long dark nights,
I wait for your word to silence the din in my depression,
I wait for your hand's touch when I feel unlovable,
I wait for your heart's strength when mine is faint with fear,
I wait for you, Lord, when I wonder, "Where's my God?"
I wait with longing for the Lord,
my soul waits for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak...
For with the Lord is kindness
and the fullness of redemption...
I wait for you, Lord, for in my heart of hearts I believe that
you're my friend, not my foe,
you're my advocate as well as my judge,
you're the peace for which long, the joy for which I thirst...
I long for you faithfully, Lord, for I believe that
with you is the fullness of redemption,
in you are the depths of peace unending,
through you will my hope be satisfied:
that without you there is no life, no joy, no peace...
But with you, Lord, with you is all my heart awaits
and my heart is restless unless, until, it rests in you...
So I wait through my restlessness,
through my anxious days and sleepless nights:
I wait for you, Lord, for in my heart of hearts I believe
that there will come the dawn when my long night's watch will end
and I will know the joy for which I've thirsted
and the peace for which I've longed and hoped and prayed...
In the quiet of my prayer, Lord, even now, today:
give me a glimpse of your light, a touch of your warmth,
one word from your lips and the stirring of your presence near me
that I might know and trust again all I hope and pray for...
In the quiet of my waiting, Lord, even now, today,
give my faithful heart the grace and strength I need
to be faithful one more day, one more hour,
and trust that you're near, that you're here,
that you're the Lord for whom I wait,
that yours is the word I wait to hear,
that with you is all kindness
and the fulfillment of my hopes and prayers...
I wait with longing for the Lord,
my soul waits for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak...
For with the Lord is kindness
and the fullness of redemption...
- Psalm 130
(Before moving on to the reflection below,
spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)
If anyone knows how my soul waits
it's you Lord, because you're the One I wait for:
yours is the face I search for when I'm alone,
yours is the voice whose word I strain to hear in my confusion,
yours is the presence I seek for comfort and relief,
yours is the company I long for through the chill of night
and the heat of day...
And I've been faithful in my waiting, Lord, in my longing:
more faithful than sentinels who long for daybreak
and the end of their long night's watch...
I've been faithful when only by a thread did I hold on
and trust you'd not abandon me...
I've waited for you, Lord,
when I thought you had ceased to wait for me...
I've been faithful
even when I thought my faith was gone...
And I've waited because in my heart of hearts I do believe
that you'll come to my aid, that in my most difficult days
your light is just ahead,
your warmth waits to hold me,
your voice whispers a word of hope,
your hand's so gentle on my shoulder that I don't yet feel it,
your presence so mysterious I've yet to find it,
your faithfulness so deep it envelops me...
I've waited, Lord, because in my heart of hearts I do believe
that you'll not leave me on my own,
that on every side you're there, always,
in those who love and care for me...
I remember, Lord, in the depths of my soul,
that you once feared abandonment yourself:
in the garden, on the night before you died
and on the Cross where you waited and longed for help
when those who stayed beside you, stood powerless,
save for the love that welled up in their hearts for you...
I wait for your light through long dark nights,
I wait for your word to silence the din in my depression,
I wait for your hand's touch when I feel unlovable,
I wait for your heart's strength when mine is faint with fear,
I wait for you, Lord, when I wonder, "Where's my God?"
I wait with longing for the Lord,
my soul waits for his word.
My soul looks for the Lord
more than sentinels for daybreak...
For with the Lord is kindness
and the fullness of redemption...
I wait for you, Lord, for in my heart of hearts I believe that
you're my friend, not my foe,
you're my advocate as well as my judge,
you're the peace for which long, the joy for which I thirst...
I long for you faithfully, Lord, for I believe that
with you is the fullness of redemption,
in you are the depths of peace unending,
through you will my hope be satisfied:
that without you there is no life, no joy, no peace...
But with you, Lord, with you is all my heart awaits
and my heart is restless unless, until, it rests in you...
So I wait through my restlessness,
through my anxious days and sleepless nights:
I wait for you, Lord, for in my heart of hearts I believe
that there will come the dawn when my long night's watch will end
and I will know the joy for which I've thirsted
and the peace for which I've longed and hoped and prayed...
In the quiet of my prayer, Lord, even now, today:
give me a glimpse of your light, a touch of your warmth,
one word from your lips and the stirring of your presence near me
that I might know and trust again all I hope and pray for...
In the quiet of my waiting, Lord, even now, today,
give my faithful heart the grace and strength I need
to be faithful one more day, one more hour,
and trust that you're near, that you're here,
that you're the Lord for whom I wait,
that yours is the word I wait to hear,
that with you is all kindness
and the fulfillment of my hopes and prayers...
To ponder and pray over...
How do I wait for the Lord in my life?
What do I wait for the Lord to do? to say? to offer me?
Have I waited for the Lord when I wasn't sure
if the Lord was waiting for me?
Do I wait for the Lord in my prayer?
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?
What do I wait for the Lord to do? to say? to offer me?
Have I waited for the Lord when I wasn't sure
if the Lord was waiting for me?
Do I wait for the Lord in my prayer?
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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