A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: TUESDAY 1/15

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 for the Lord...

My soul waits and I hope for his word.

More than sentries wait for the dawn,

my soul waits for the Lord...
- Psalm 130

I wait for you, Lord,

not just in these 10 minutes each day

but sometimes all through the night

and past the dawn,
I wait for you...

I'm not even altogether sure what I expect

or what it is I'm waiting for...

Will you appear and let me see you?

Will you speak and let me hear you?

Will you touch and let me feel you?

Will you heal what's hurt and broken,

refresh what's tired and weary,

grant me what I pray for?

(Oh yes, Lord, I'd be very pleased

if you'd do all of the above!)

Still, I wait for you, Lord...

My soul waits and hopes for your face,

your word, your touch, your healing,

your peace, your gift:

I wait for you, Lord...

Sometimes I wonder:

have you appeared and I've not noticed you?

have you spoken a word I haven't heard?

have you touched and I've not felt your hand upon me?

have you offered healing I've ignored or just refused?

have you offered joy I've turned from in self-pity?

have you heard my prayer and given me an answer

I'd not hoped for or expected?

I wait for an answer to my prayer.

I wait in silence, in patience, in tears,

in fear and frustration
and even in anger that you're not listening -

or so it sometimes seems...

Sometimes I wait... and then give up... and turn away:

"So there, Lord! If you won't hear me,

won't answer, won't show me -

then I'll pray no more!"

And I wait again...

I wait some more...

And then I hear you call me back

or I return to you because your love, your presence,

your patience with my needs and tears
are sometimes all I have

and when all I have is you then I have so much more

than all the things I wait and pray for...

I pray and wait... for an answer to my prayer.

More than sentries wait for the dawn,

my soul waits for you, O Lord,

and for an answer to my prayer...

In this place where I pray today, Lord -

let me close my eyes and see your face...

In the stillness of my prayer,

let me hear a word of love...

Let me feel your touch upon my heart,

and the healing your hand brings...

Lift my heart to this day's joy

wherever you might offer it,
wherever it might find me...

Hear my prayer, Lord, and give me answer:

an answer I can hear and know,

an answer I can understand,

an answer sure to lift my heart and heal my soul,

an answer to my prayer...

I wait for you to hear and answer

what my heart speaks to yours.
For whether or not I see you, Lord,

I know that you are here...

Whether or not I hear you,
I know you call my name...

Whether or not I feel your touch,
I know you reach for me...

Whether or not my prayer finds joy

your peace still seeks me out...
I know you hear each word I speak and in mysterious ways

you never fail to answer every prayer I offer you...

In the stillness of these moments, Lord, help me trust

that you are near, that you are here,

and that you are hear my every prayer...

To ponder and pray over...
Am I waiting for the Lord?
Is there something in particular I'm waiting for?
What spirit is within me while I wait?
Might my impatience keep me from seeing
that the Lord for whom I wait is here?

For what prayer am I waiting an answer?

Of all that I pray for, what is most important?

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.