A Concord Pastor Comments: Praying 10 minutes today: WEDNESDAY 4/10

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 love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

- Psalm 18

(Before moving on to the reflection below,

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

Be my strength, Lord,
   when I'm weak and tired,
   when I'm listless and drowsy:
      be the strength in my arms and keep me faithful to my work;
      be the strength in my body when I want to flee to sleep;
      be the strength in my soul when self-pity's got its hold on me;
      be the strength in my spirit when "I Don't Care" is how I feel...

I love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

Be my fortress, Lord,
   when I feel besieged on every side,
   when it seems there's no place left to go,
   when I need a place that's safe from harm,
   when I look for shelter for my heart:
      be my fortress, Lord, protecting me from what and whom I fear;
      be my fortress, Lord, a place to go when I'm not sure where home is;
      be my fortress, Lord, my shield lest any harm might touch my soul;
      be my fortress, Lord, and keep me close within your saving arms...

I love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

Deliver me, Lord, from sin and from temptation...

Deliver me, Lord, from thoughts and words and deeds
that have no business being in my mind, my speech, my life...

Deliver me, Lord, from anyone and anything
   that does not bring me closer to your way, your word, your wisdom...

Deliver me, Lord, from the hold my possessions have on me:
   deliver me from things and stuff and toys
      that waste my time and mind, that drain my soul of spirit
     and bring no good to me or to my neighbor...

I love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

Help me know how weak I am so I might know the times

I need your power to hold me up and help me to go on:

I love you, Lord, my strength...

Help me know how vulnerable I am so I might know the times

when your presence is my only refuge, my safe haven:

I love you, Lord, my fortress...

Help me know how lost I often am so I might know the times

I need your wisdom to guide me and your love to save me:

I love you, Lord, my deliverer...

I love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

In the quiet of my prayer, Lord, show me

how much I need your strength,

how often I need to rest in your presence,

how deeply I need for you to rescue me

from harm, from foolishness and even from myself...

In the stillness of my prayer,

strengthen my faith in your love for me, Lord,

be the place where my heart finds its peace

and deliver me from danger, however it might come my way...

Quiet my anxious heart and help me be still

that I might know that you're my God,

that you are near,

that you are here with me...

I love you, Lord:

my strength,
my fortress,

and my deliverer...

To ponder and pray over...

What are my weaknesses? Will I bring them to the Lord
   and ask for his strength where I have none?
What are my fears? Will I seek the Lord, today,
   and find in him a fortress to protect me?
What endangers me? What harms me?
   Will I ask the Lord to deliver me and set me free?
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.