A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: WEDNESDAY 2/6

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:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
-see Psalm 100

(Before moving on to the reflection below,

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

Every good gift comes from your hand, Lord!

Help me to count my blessings this day
   and to be grateful to you from whom they flow...

I thank you for the blessing of family and friends, near and far,
   those who are with me still and those who have gone home to you...

I thank you for my eyes and ears,
   for finding the beauty of your presence all around me...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for nature's seasons and all I learn
   in their coming and going, year in and year out...

I thank you for the blessing of a sunrise
   and the blessing of the same sun's setting...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for the company of others
   and good times shared with them...

I thank you for silence, for solitude
   and for times of peace and quiet with you...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for your mercy and forgiveness,
   for your pardon of my faults and sins...

I thank you for correction that helps me grow
   and for reprimands that keep me honest...

I thank you for the healing grace of forgiving others
   and of others forgiving me...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for anticipation's joy
   and for disappointment's healing...

I thank you for a good night's sleep
   and the blessing of sweet dreams...

I thank you for the gift of each new day,
   one day at a time...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for steady work, for satisfying work,
   for work that serves the needs of others...

I thank you for the gift of those who help me
   and for the opportunity to be of help to others...

I thank you for the works of grace and faith
   that shape us as your people...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for a child's birth

and the promise new life brings...

I thank you for the gift a peaceful death can be

for those who've lost a loved one...

I thank you for the life that's mine

and your promise of a life that never ends...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for the Scriptures' word, the Gospel's truth,

the teachings of our faith...

I thank you for the sacraments and for every way you

touch and heal and nourish us with grace...

I thank you for prayer we share together as your people

and for the grace you offer every time we gather...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I thank you for the ordinary, the routine

the unexpected, the surprise...

I thank you for cleansing tears

and for healing laughter...

I thank you for my faith when I'm confused;

for the gift of hope when trust's in short supply;

and for the blessing of your love when I'm alone...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

In the quiet of my prayer, Lord,

help me count my blessings before I list my problems,

before I whine and whimper,

before I turn to pity for myself...

Every good gift comes from your hand, Lord,

and you're more generous than I'm sometimes willing to notice,

to see, to acknowledge, to remember

and to hold within my mind and heart as gift and grace...

In the stillness of my prayer, Lord,

show me the peace, the grace, the healing

of your blessings in my life;

help me see the ones I've missed, the blessings I've forgotten,

and the ones you'll give to me today...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

To ponder and pray over...

How often do I stop to count my blessings?
Might it help me to remember and be grateful
for blessings I received years ago?
Are there worries or fears that keep me
from seeing some blessings when they fall in my lap?
What blessings might I add to the list above?

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.