A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: FRIDAY 9/14

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 Lord sets prisoners free...
- Psalm 146

(Before moving on to the reflection below,

spend some quiet time with the scripture verse above...)

Prison walls don’t close me in, Lord,

but bars, sometimes stronger than iron,

can keep me from the freedom

my heart needs and longs for…

So I pray for freedom in my heart, Lord,

the freedom only you can give...

The Lord sets prisoners free...

Free and open wide my heart

when I feel locked up, locked in and locked down...

Give me freedom in my heart, Lord,

when I am walled in by loneliness…

Free my heart, Lord,

when I'm sentenced to days and nights

that pass so slowly...

Free my heart from resentments
and grudges that ground my spirit's growth:
release me for the joy of moving on...

Unlock the shackles of bitterness and anger

and free my heart to pardon

all who've harmed and hurt me...

The Lord sets prisoners free...

Lift my heart’s burden of faults and failings

and free me of my sins,

weighing heavy on my soul...

Give my heart wings of freedom

when I'm held prisoner by my past:

anxiety and fear my cellmates…

Give my heart the freedom I need

to accept your word of truth,

your gentle mercy, your peace
and your abiding love...

The Lord sets prisoners free...

Free my heart, Lord,

so I can share with others

what you have shared with me...

Give me freedom in my heart, Lord:

freedom to become the person

you created me to be...

Free me, Lord, to praise and thank you

for all you've given me

and all you promise...

In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,

   let me hear your Spirit's key unlocking
      all that holds me bound...

The Lord sets prisoners free...

In the stillness of this time with you,
   hear my prayer and free me, Lord,
      from all that keeps me under lock and key:
let nothing hold me save your truth,
   your wisdom and your power to set me free...

To ponder and pray over...

In what prison is my heart held captive?
What confines my freedom to be the person God made me to be?
What incarcerates my spirit and my desire for joy?
From what prison cell might I ask the Lord to release 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.