9/4/12

Praying 10 minutes today: WEDNESDAY 9/5


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 are indeed my savior,
and in the shadow of your wings
   I shout for joy...
-Psalm 63






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

There are times when I'm lost, Lord,
   somewhere in-between my faith in you
      and the burdens weighing on my mind and heart...

I believe in you, in your grace and in your love for me
   but I can get lost in my fears and problems,
      praying and waiting for you to rescue me
   and wondering why, sometimes,
      you delay so long in coming to my aid...

Where might I go, what might I do in these in-between times
   while I wait for your peace, for you to rescue me and set me free?

You're my savior: you're the Lord of my in-between-times
   when I pray you'll draw me to the shadow of your wings,
      to your outstretched arms,
         to hold me safe, protected, in the shelter only you can provide...

You are indeed my savior,
   and in the shadow of your wings
      I shout for joy...

In the shadow of your wings
   bring me close to your heart, Lord,
      to a place where in your grace I might survey
         the burdens my heart bears and the fears that rule my days...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   give me shade from all that blinds me to your presence:
      let the light that's yours, the light that heals,
         shine on me and brighten with hope's promise
            the sadness in my soul...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   hold me fast in faith, in trusting
      that you don't delay but, rather, in your wisdom wait,
         that in your time, not in mine,
            you'll hear and answer me...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   let me find the peace I seek:
      though my problems go unsolved,
      though fears yet chase my steps,
      though my soul is troubled still,
   let me find the peace I seek
      in the shadow of your wings...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   let me shout for joy in knowing that I'm held
      within your love and in your heart,
   that sheltered in your presence
      there's a joy that comes to set me free
         before I'm free of all that holds me bound...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   let me sing in praise of what I have in you
      and let go the dirge of what I've yet to find,
         of what I wait and pray for...

In the shadow of your wings, Lord,
   let me find the place, in-between, where I can be at peace,
      where I can sing your song, where I can shout for joy
   because in all things, in my pain and in my peace,
      you are indeed my savior
         and in the shadow of your wings, I sing for joy...
   
In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,
   help me find the shade, the shadow of your wings,
      sheltering me from all my fears...

In the stillness of my time with you, Lord,
   give me faith to sing your praise
for in the midst of all that burdens me
   you are near, you are here with me,
      you are my refuge and my peace...

You indeed are my savior,
   and in the shadow of your wings
      I shout for joy...

To ponder and pray over...
What fears and problems keep me from finding joy in God?
When and how do I find myself lost, 
   "in between" my problems and my faith in God?
Do I know that there is peace, that there is joy for me
   even before my problems are resolved?
Will I pray for the grace to let go my problems' hold on me
   long enough for me to settle in the shelter of the Lord's wings?
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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