A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: TUESDAY 9/4

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:
You give light to my lamp, Lord,
you brighten the darkness about me...
- Psalm 18

(Before moving on to the reflection below,

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

In the shadows, on dark days
   when the clouds shade my heart,
      give light to my lamp, Lord...

Be the oil in the lamp of my soul,
   the light in the corners of my confusion,
      the flame that burns and glows with life within me...

Be the light upon my path
   to show me the way when I'm lost and alone...

Be a light searching for me
   when I hide in the shadows:
      draw me out of the darkness...

Be the sun burning bright at midday
   sharing the warmth of your presence...

Be the full moon's light in my night skies;
be the stars that flicker
   and lift my eyes to ponder their beauty
      and their Maker's glory...

When I'm wrong and stubborn, be my light of truth;

when I'm foolish and wasteful, be my light of wisdom;

when I dwell in sadness, be my light of hope...

When I prefer the darkness, when I choose the shadows,

   when I cover my eyes and turn from your side:
open my heart to your light
   drawing me out, lifting me up, healing my hurt,
      exposing my fear of the love your light offers and gives...

You give light to my lamp, Lord,
you brighten the darkness about me...

Brighten the darkness about me, Lord:

illumine the darkness within me,

shine through the darkness that hides me,

burn in the darkness that chills me,

shimmer in the darkness that dulls me,

gleam in the darkness that shrouds me,

   sparkle in the darkness that dims my hope...

Give light to my lamp,
   let no darkness douse it;
give light to my lamp,
   let no wind quench its flame;
give light to my lamp, Lord,
   let no fear snuff it out...

You give light to my lamp, Lord,
   you brighten the darkness about me...

In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,
give light to the lamp of my heart
and let no darkness shadow my time with you:
   no worry, no doubt, no fear...

In the stillness, Lord,
   let the lamp of my soul burn strong and bright,
      fueled by your Spirit deepening my trust in you...

In this time for prayer, Lord,
   give light to my lamp for the rest of this day
      and to guide me through the night ahead...

Help me trust that you're near, here by my side
   and brighten the darkness about me
      with the light of your peace...

You give light to my lamp, Lord,
   you brighten the darkness about me...

To ponder and pray over...

Does it sometimes seem the light in my soul has grown dim?
Will I open my heart for the Lord to give light to my lamp?
What darkness keeps me from prayer, from trusting in God,
from finding hope?
What darkness about me might I ask the Lord to illumine - 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.