recognizing, friday

Friday, August 8

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

Opening Prayer: Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created.  You were with me, but I was not with you.  Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all.  You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace. (The Confessions of St. Augustine)

Scripture Reading for the Day: John 20:11-18

         

Reading for Reflection:

     In recent years I’ve begun to understand that prayer is more “gift given” than “mission accomplished.”  Out of his love for me, Jesus makes me the object of his attention and his affection.  Out of my love for him, Jesus becomes the object of my attention and affection.  Focusing on Jesus is more helpful than placing all of my attention on praying in a particular way.  If I am not faithful to the discipline of prayer, in whatever form, bit by bit I will forget God.  I must beg God daily for the grace to live a life of unceasing prayer.  I must regularly spend time with God speaking and listening, pondering and getting to know God.  If I do anything but this, my mind and my heart will be consumed with other interests and concerns.  Before long I will fail to recognize the sound of God’s voice, and I will stop speaking to God.  I know this from hard experience. (Running on Empty by Fil Anderson)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing 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)