following Jesus, friday

Friday, July 18

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

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I am still so divided.  I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, popularity, pleasure, power, and influence.  Help me to become deaf to those voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life.  I know this will be a very hard road for me.  The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life.  I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions.  There are no times and places without choices.  And I know how deeply I resist choosing you.  Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place.  Give me the strength and courage to live my life faithfully, so that I will be able to taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me.  Amen. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

         

Scripture Reading for the Day: Mark 8:31-38

Reading for Reflection:

Meister Eckhart wrote: "There are plenty to follow our Lord half-way, but not the other half.  They will give up possessions, friends, and honors, but it touches them too closely to disown themselves."  It is just this astonishing life which is willing to follow Him the other half, sincerely to disown itself, this life which intends complete obedience, without any reservations, that I would propose to you in all humility, in all boldness, in all seriousness.  I mean this literally, utterly, completely, and I mean it for you and for me—commit your lives in unreserved obedience to Him.  (A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

            

Closing Prayer: Dear Father, take this day's life into Thine own keeping.  Control all my thoughts and feelings.  Direct all my energies.  Instruct my mind.  Sustain my will.  Take my hands and make them skilful to serve Thee.  Take my feet and make them swift to do Thy bidding.  Take my eyes and keep them fixed upon Thine everlasting beauty.  Take my mouth and make it eloquent in testimony to Thy love.  Make this day a day of obedience, a day of spiritual joy and peace.  Make this day's work a little part of the work of the Kingdom of my Lord Christ, in whose name these my prayers are said.  Amen. (A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie)