listening, tuesday

Tuesday, January 27

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

        

Opening Prayer: Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your holy word.  Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness, that the light of Christ might be seen today, in our acts of love and our deeds of faith.  Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes, for Your glory. (Speak O Lord by Stuart Townend, Keith Getty)

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 10:1-18

Reading for Reflection:

 

     Retire from the world each day to some private spot, even if it be only the bedroom (for a while I retreated to the furnace room for want of a better place).  Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God’s presence envelopes you…Listen for the inward Voice till you learn to recognize it.  Stop trying to compete with others.  Give yourself to God and then be what and who you are without regard to what others think…Learn to pray inwardly every moment.  After a while you can do this even while you work….Read less, but more of what is important to your inner life.  Never let your mind remain scattered for very long.  Call home your roving thoughts.  Gaze on Christ with the eyes of your soul.  Practice spiritual concentration.  All of the above is contingent upon a right relation to God through Christ and daily meditation on the Scriptures.  Lacking these, nothing will help us; granted these, the discipline recommended will go far to neutralize the evil effects of externalism and to make us acquainted with God and our own souls. (The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself    

                     

Closing Prayer: The heavens declare your glory, O Lord, and the skies proclaim the work of your hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they reveal knowledge.  There is no speech, or language, where your voice is not heard.  Your voice goes out through all the earth, and your words to the end of the world.  We will know your power and presence this day, if we will but listen for your voice.  Amen.