prayer - 365

I just entered the word "pray" in the search box at biblegateway.com. In the NIV default setting, there are 365 scripture references to prayer. That's one for every day of the year. Interesting. As I scanned through some of the verses, there seems to be a prayer relevant to any situation we might find ourselves in: prayers of thanksgiving and praise, prayers for help and deliverance, prayers for healing and restoration, prayers for self and prayers for others.

As I explore and grow in my understanding of prayer, I'm confident that we really can be in constant dialogue with God. We really are in his presence every moment. It is so much sweeter when there is a consciousness about it, but there's also a beautiful assurance that when we belong to God, we can't not pray.

-Candice

Lent

"One of the principal disciplines of the spiritual life is attentiveness: being alert to the simple, often subtle ways that God's grace enters our lives. Often, we have to set aside our anxious preoccupations in order to see that our days are filled with mercies." - from a lent devotional by Emilie Griffin.

I find Lent can become somewhat of a strange preoccupation. Suddenly people I never really engage in "spiritual" conversations with are asking me what I have given up for Lent. Or announce what they have given up for Lent ... usually something in the form of sugar, caffeine, or fat. I find this interesting. In hopes that I am not coming across as judgmental, I just find myself wondering what we have made Lent into when overcoming our cravings for chocolate becomes our focus during this sacred time.

There have been seasons when I've given up chocolate for Lent. Or chips, or pop. When I reflect on those times, I wonder if by doing that I actually made more room for experiencing God in my life. Was it about discipline, an attempt to identify on a miniscule level with my Savior's suffering, or participating in a ritual that I didn't really understand?

For the past number of years, I have not given up anything for Lent. For one, I am weak. I cheat constantly and that heaps on the guilt. That really does not feel like I am drawing nearer to God. When I think about my longing to draw nearer to God, I realize that it is not chocolate or chips that gets in my way. It's things that steal my time. Now of course there are things that I give my time to that I cannot give up for Lent, but there are small - and sometimes not so small - time wasting activities that I allow myself to indulge in that if they were removed, that time may be filled more purposefully.

So during Lent this year, I am choosing to make more room to experience God's presence. I wish I could say it's a daily practice, but it's not always. But when I turn away from one of my time-wasting activities, I'm reminded to raise my awareness of God's presence in every moment.

-Candice

living in God's presence

I often catch myself thinking that I need to "come into God's presence" when I want to dialogue with him, experience what he has for me and so on. Of course when I quiet myself and put other thoughts and activities aside I feel that I am more fully in God's presence. Isn't that the same with other things and relationships too?

But God is always present. He is here and now and will always be. So what is there for me to "come into"? Isn't it more about me being aware of his presence and living in it? Yesterday I read these words in Deuteronomy:

"So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today -- live a good life." (10:12-13)

What if I lived every day remembering that I'm always in God's presence? What if I remembered I am in his presence when I'm at work, when I'm running errands, when I'm interacting with my family or anyone else for that matter? Yesterday I started reminding myself at times that I am in God's presence. I even whispered it to myself a couple of times: "I'm in God's presence". Suddenly I feel like I should approach every situation with holy reverence. Even my thoughts are occurring in God's presence.

And then there's that last sentence in verse 13 that ends with "live a good life". It's part of what God expects from me. And living a good life means living it in his presence. What if we each did that today? What if even once today, we remembered to tell ourselves that we're living in God's presence? What would we notice? What might we do differently? How might we perceive our present situations?

-Candice

praying the prayer of another

For me, prayer is dialogue with God. Each dialogue is unique, sometimes clear and epic in nature, sometimes vague and ephemeral. I tend to think of dialogue needing to be "in my own words". However, I often pray through scripture, using the words I read as my own words to God, and reading the words as his words to me. I've prayed psalms as if they were my own. And the Lord's Prayer - a gift that each of us can claim. I've also prayed prayers written by others, aligning myself with the words and ideas expressed through their writing.

Recently I've been thinking of a prayer that I came across several years ago, and I prayed it regularly for a time, loving how it addressed each aspect of the Trinity. Today, finally I searched it, and when I found it, it was like a key unlocking a door in my memory bank. Memories of the time of life when I prayed this prayer daily. Who I prayed it with. How God revealed himself as Three in One to me at that time.

This prayer is by John Stott, pastor of All Souls Church in London.

Good morning heavenly Father. Good morning Lord Jesus. Good morning Holy Spirit. Father I pray that I may live this day in Your presence and please You more and more. Lord Jesus I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow You. Holy Spirit I pray that this day You will fill me with Yourself and cause Your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three Persons in one God, have mercy upon me, Amen.

-Candice

there is not one without the other

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 NLT

restore my soul

I love reading books that are rich in description both of setting and character. My mind creates images that often become a part of me as the story unfolds. This might sound lovely, but at times it is not. It seems that images of the unlovely are what stay with me (which is why I've also become very good at skimming as I read!) This has also led me to be rather selective in what I choose to open my mind to, because I know that once something's in there, it's hard to get it out!

The same goes with movies, just on a bit more of an intense level. Because now I'm exposed to images of someone else's making, with the soundtrack to go with it. Not that long ago, I went to a movie with a few other people. The heart of the theme really was redemptive violence. It was horrible and graphic. Even with my eyes squeezed shut and my fingers in my ears for most of the movie, some images still made their way into my mind, and continue to resurface and force me to deal with them.

In Romans 12:2 it says "Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)
In a way that gives me comfort: if one of the patterns of this world is redemptive violence, then being highly sensitive to images and portrayals of that is a way of not accepting that pattern.

That still doesn't get awful images out of my head though. So one afternoon as I was going for a walk and again those images resurfaced and threatened to overtake my rational thinking, I held up some scripture in defense. I began to think through Psalm 23 (one of my meeting places) and I found myself repeating the words "he restores my soul". He restores my soul.

Restores: According to Webster, "to bring back to or put back into a former or original state: renew".

My soul: that part of me that is the essence of myself as God has created me and the place where I am in community with God through the Holy Spirit.

He restores my soul. I have this longing to be brought back to the original state of God's creation of my soul.

What if I asked for him to restore my soul on a daily basis? Or an hourly basis, because I can so quickly get off track? What if we each did that? Could we break the patterns of this world?

He restores my soul.

-Candice

new meeting place

Today I thought I wanted to listen to God. No actually I thought I wanted to talk to God. I have questions for him. I want to tell him what's going on inside my head. He obviously knows what's going on inside my head, even better than I do. Because these last couple of days, as I've been trying to sort out my thoughts to better cry out to him (how's that for trying to stay in control?!) he's been gently and consistently inviting me to ... sit and relax with him.

I have several meeting places in my heart that I can access when I pray. And I have not been going to any of those in the last while. It turns out God has been preparing another one for me. It speaks to the needs I have right now: warmth. Quiet. Intimacy. As I allow this image to be revealed inside my heart, and settle into it, he has been speaking to me. Scripture that has held meaning for me is resurfacing. I can speak out my questions. I can let loose what's been taking up so much space in my head.

And I'm waiting to hear what he has to say about all of this. For now I'm getting this image of intimacy and peace. I understand this to mean it's time for me to sit and experience what he has for me right now. It's a good image. Though I still have questions. I still long for clarity about my "stuff". But I can sit here with him. Because there's no place I'd rather be.

-Candice