A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: FRIDAY 4/26

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:
When I see the heavens,
   the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars
   which you arranged,
who am I
   that you should keep me in mind,
who am I that you care for me?
-Psalm 8

(Before moving on to the reflection below,

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

I believe, Lord, that your loving eye is upon me
   every moment of every day -
morning, noon and night -
and that you never blink, never nap or nod,
   but without fail you hold me in your sight...

I believe, Lord, that your ears are open to my prayer,
   open to every word and thought and dream of mine,
the good ones and the bad ones:
I believe that nothing crosses my mind, stirs in my heart -
   not a word leaves my lips - without your knowing it...

I believe, Lord, that your heart is open to mine: 24/7/365.
Not a beat of my heart goes unnoticed by yours,
   every flutter, murmur and skip of my heart
         echoes in yours and is lovingly heard...

I trust your attention to all of my needs, Lord,
   even when I wonder and worry that you've taken a break
      or forgotten my name or have tired of all my prayers...

I trust your response to my worries and fears
   even when silence is the only answer you give.
In your silence I trust I'm not left alone
   but I'm held in the mystery of love
      waiting with me 'til your word, your wisdom,
         your breath whispers softly,
            "I'm with you..."

I trust in your care when you answer my prayer:
   "not now..." or "not yet..." or even just "no..."
Then I pray for the patience to wait and to watch
   for the ways I know you'll help me get through, get by
      and survive each day's distress and the darkest of nights...

I trust that you see much more than I, Lord,
   that your vision is keener than mine;
that you see all my troubles just as they are, in proportion,
   the small from the large, the large from the small,
      the ones I imagine from those that are real...

I trust that you're with me today, Lord:
   that not for a moment will you leave my side
   and at every turn you'll be watching my step...

I trust not a word, not a thought from my prayer
      will fail to echo in the depths of your heart;
that even in silence your love will abide
   in the mystery and promise of your presence and peace...

So, in the quiet of my prayer, Lord,
   renew and refresh my trust in you,
in your care for me...

In the stillness of my prayer,
   help me hear the breath, the whisper,
      the rustle of your holy presence...

In the silence, Lord, teach me the language
   your heart speaks to mine:
      a language without sound,
      a language without words,
      the language of a love that speaks so much more
            than any words might ever say...

To ponder and pray over...

What are the troubles and trials, the worries and fears
   that lead me to question God's care for me today?
Will I ask the Lord today to deepen my trust and faith
   that in all things and at all times, the Lord is with me?
Have I considered that God's silence, in itself,
   is the mystery of his presence?
Have I considered that silence might be God's first language?

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.