March 6 Prayer
Looking over this past week I stop to see where God has met me. Where my thoughts and concerns have been, where my heart strings were pulled and where I struggled to stay connected In hope we pray bring us back to You, O God, Abounding in mercy, Our Lord is good to all his creatures. He does not deal with us according to our sins but casts them far into the deep blue sea. I thank You for filling my empty cup, for satisfying my thirsty soul and for nourishing my hungry heart. I thank You for showing the obstacles between me and you and for removing them. I thank You for your love and your grace that appears when I shed my worry and let my life become like a seed falling into the ground with You. I thank you that today is just the beginning. This moment now is the mother of all moments to come. Bringing new life, new choices to love, choices to give, to be truly honest, to become whole and to choose to really live. ‘Glory be to You, Father of all things, to You, Christ our King, to You, Holy Spirit breath of our being.’ Amen Psalm 103, 145:8-9 DB March 5 Prayer
….until the time came to fulfill his dreams... “He is the Lord our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.” Ps. 105:7-8, This story, lived centuries ago,about Joseph, his dysfunctional family and the undue suffering he endured. Envy, resentment, favoritism, betrayal, deceit, jealousy, rejection, anger, innocence, injustice, just about every human condition, one can imagine is displayed there. We are human, and though we are made in God’s image we cannot attain To his glory through our own will and emotions. We fall short, every time. And even though we may not commit such crimes as Joseph’s brothers did, we may feel those same emotions. Sometimes, in some places and in some situations. And when we notice and sink deeply there, a road will rise up to walk on, one step at a time, to confess, and to forgive, to honor this passageway to freedom. That we may be made whole, beautiful containers for God. God will turn things around, He will keep his promise To fulfill your dreams that He gave you long ago. Pause here to ponder your dreams and confess your shortcomings, Lord, we believe that you keep your promises to us For you are our only help when we feel helpless When we are betrayed and harbor resentment, You are the only way to forgiveness. When we suffer undue hardships, You rescue us and bring justice. When we are fearful You are our safe place. May we not give up hope in the dreams that you have given us long ago May we rise up and take the next step to follow you out from under our doubts and fears. Lead us on Lord, take our hands and let us proclaim your goodness everywhere we go. For you are the God who turns things around You are the One who gives us a reason to get up again, everyday, and be a place for glory to shine through. Alleluia! Amen DB Gen.37, Acts.7:9-15, Ps.105:19 March 4Prayer
‘A stark dry landscape A barren hot wilderness An unknown heart and twisted mind’ These are the descriptions of someone in pain. Someone walking through a difficult time here on earth Our Lord Jesus is well acquainted with sorrow and enters our pain through his very own journey to the cross Who knows their own heart ? When doubts and questions plague us. When people let you down When your trust even in yourself has waned? Blessed is the person who completely trusts and relies upon the goodness of God In every season,Jeremiah says, will not cease to bear fruit. Jer.17:5-10 Fresh leaves continue to unfurl before a blazing sun beating down upon it In the desert and yet flourishing, greening down to its roots and drinking up from the life stream of love. With everything you have let go of it now and trust completely in God, See and know that he holds this situation you are in. Look at where you have been putting your trust and turn towards the nourishing of your soul. ‘May we see the truth of the matter and understand better our own hearts. We give to You our own desires to let you search our hearts and stop pretending things are not as they really are. We pray Father, You, are our only source of strength during dark times. We ask for your spirit to flow through us now Letting your strength flow out of us to those who need your comfort today. We receive your strength, your peace, and your wisdom from above To be with those who are in such a place and offer hope there. By your grace, we will be well watered trees bearing fruit in every season. ‘For every good thing that I have comes from you.’ Ps.16:1-2 Amen DB March 3 Prayer
To follow Jesus on the journey to the cross. That’s what lent is all about. We take our time and reflect upon the areas of growth Our souls are in need of. Today’s reading is about following Jesus’ way not the way of the world’s kingdom Jesus offers us a cup to drink And it isn't a cup of power and esteem But of humility as He leads The way of leadership through servanthood Surrender rather than control A faith lived through self dying Into a new identity with Christ A union so deeply rooted in love that no ego can drive a wedge between No need to impress Nor appease For God the Father sees us Through the eyes of the beloved Son He sees through us Into our very depths of desire, The very core of who we are and who we are becoming. In our grief and in our shortcomings In our striving we come Lay down our cups before him to fill As He chooses What we are to drink It’s a different cup for each of us Wherever you are today will you offer him your empty cup? In your weakness Let him fill you with strength In our fears Let him fill you with courage In your grief Let him fill you with comfort In your sorrow Let him fill you with a joy that runs a river deep Stretch out your hands to hold out your cup to pray; ‘Not my will but yours dear Lord, I surrender to your love, your way of living out my faith Knowing in my heart that you see who I am and who I am becoming Completely yours. May we be poured out to serve others this day And live out our faith with Christ.’ Amen DB Matt.20:17-28, Gal.2:19-20 March 2 Prayer
“Lose your life to find it.” “Humble yourself and you He will exalt you,” Do not call anyone else teacher, or Father or any other high title for there is only one we serve. The greatest among you must be a servant.” What heavy burden of a title am I trying to live up to, I ask? What expectations from others weigh me down? What do I place on leaders, teachers, pastors those that hold positions that they are not able to bear? There is only One. One we are to be attached to. All created things we are to have a holy indifference. The only way our hearts can truly be free is to let go of these things that hold us earthbound. I ask God what strings and ropes tug my heart away from holy living? What am I tethered to that keeps me from being lifted higher in the spirit with him? ...My need to be seen, esteemed by what others think of me? Where my work is noticed and publicly honored, given credit for what I’ve done? Oh, Lord, I am just as guilty as the religious leaders you called out for their unhealthy attachments. Forgive me, I let go of these weights now. May my heart be only tethered to yours. May everything else fade away before You. So I may only see You, Your beauty here in the face of the other. May I let go of the expectations that weigh me down So I may take flight upon your wings of grace. ‘We exalt the Lord our God And bow low before his feet, For He is great and holy.’ We worship before your glory! Give us the wings to fly in holy detachment Amen Jn.12:23-26, Mt.23:1-12,Ps.99:5 March 1 Prayer
‘God is for us and not against us.’ We hear those words God did not withhold his beloved son Gave himself, his whole self for us God speaks from the mountain top ‘Listen to my Son’ He gives So we may give What can we give back to such a benevolent Creator Who does not withhold from us? Shall we take this cup of salvation, The cup of grace and raise it up to the one Who was raised up for us? How shall we give him an offering? Stop here to ask how you are to give back.. What are you to pour out before him now… ‘Jesus, we are listening to your words, “Do not condemn, do not judge, forgive so we may be forgiven, give and it will be given back to you.” This is hard we confess because our hearts want everything to be fair and just We want to see results right away We confess our need to see things change the need to be heard and understood. We ask for the grace to trust and the grace to give, for giving is the way to forgiveness Forgiveness is the way of abundance, a full cup easily overflows when it is raised up So raise your cup up, let your father fill you with everything You need, let it overflow, be poured out and ‘What shall I give back to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord And will fulfill my vows to you before all people.’ Ps.116:16-19,Lk.6:36-38,Rom.8:31-34 |