Friday, March 1: A Prayer for Help

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark [4:35-41]

On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”  And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.  Other boats were with him.  A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said tho him,  “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace!  Be still!” The the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.  He said to them, “Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?”  And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  

A Prayer for “Help”

In her spiritual memoir, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Fatih, the author Anne Lamott tells us that her two best prayers are “Help me. Help me. Help me.”  and “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”  

Some of us have an uneasy relationship with asking for help.  In our American culture we have been taught to go it alone, to depend on ourselves, and to make our own way.  And while this may be the American way, it really isn’t the Christian way.  In his book, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, Carl McColman talks about the fact that first and foremost the Christian religion is relational, and if whatever we are doing is not relational it is likely not Christian.  We cannot possibly do this christianity thing alone.  We do it through and with God, Jesus and the Spirit and we do it through and with each other.  

I have heard people say that they don’t feel comfortable asking God for anything for themselves.  And yet, in the Lord’s prayer, the prayer that Jesus himself taught his disciples to pray, we see him asking for his food, to be able to withstand temptation and to be kept safe.  Have any of us ever asked our parents for something?  Of course we did and do.  We expect that they will help us.  And we should expect that God, the loving Father, will help us. And then, when we do ask, we must ask in faith, believing that God’s help is available to us.

No matter what is going on in your life today, whether there is crisis, utter calm, or somewhere in between, I invite you to pray the prayers that Anne Lamott shared with us.  

Simply repeat over and over again,

Help me.  Help me.  Help me.  

and then,

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  

Spend several minutes with the two prayers.  

When you are finished write in your journal about what it felt like to ask for God’s help.  How would/does it feel to ask your friends for help?  Your church family?  Are you dependent on God in any way or are you able to do it all on your own?  What did it feel like to say thank you?  

Loving God, I have asked for your help. Give me the grace to receive it. Thank you. Amen.

Thursday, February 28: A Prayer of Surrender

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.   Recall that the Psalms are the Prayerbook of the Bible.  I invite you to pray this passage.

Psalm 131

Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.

I don’t concern myself with matters
too great or awesome for me.

But I have stilled and quieted myself,
just as a small child is quiet with its mother.
Yes, like a small child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord--
now and always.   

This passage very gently and naturally leads us into a prayer of surrender.  Sometimes we think of surrender as having to be bent to another’s will such as the surrender that we see happening in war or when someone has power over us and we are forced to accept their will.  But the surrender we see in this passage is very different.  Can you see the surrender in the child on the mother’s lap?  Safe, protected, trusting.  Knowing that the mother would only do whatever is absolutely loving and best for her child.  Can we surrender to God in the same way?  

To pray a prayer of surrender is a prayer of communion.  It is simply being in God’s presence and saying I trust you. I trust your will for me.  Spend a few moments in this prayer.  

How did it feel to imagine resting in God with this image?  Were you able to quiet and still yourself?  Did you experience any response from God when you surrendered?  Record your thoughts in your prayer journal.

Loving God, in You I live and move and have my being. Throughout this day and all of my life, may I live with a sense of safety, protection and trust, knowing that you desire all that is best for me. Help me to love you as You love me. Amen.

Wednesday, February 27: Imaging Intercession

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel according to John [5:1-9]

After the second sign in Cana there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes.  In these lay many invalids --blind, lame, and paralyzed.  One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him,  “Do you want to be made well?”  The sick man answered him,  “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up;  and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”  Jesus said to him,  “Stand up, take your mat and walk.”  At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.  

What do you notice in this story?  I notice two things.  First, the man needed help and support in order to get to healing and wholeness.  Secondly, Jesus was able to visualize the man restored to complete health.

Generally, when we are asked to pray for people who need healing, we often feel limited.  We are not sure exactly what to ask for.  What is it that the person really needs?   Sometimes it is helpful to pray without words so that we align our prayers with the movement of the Spirit in the person’s life.  A prayer without words still allows us to connect with the one for whom we are praying and to offer them our care and love.  

Here is a prayer taken from Soul Feast by Marjorie Thompson.

Imaging Intercession

Consider using your imagination rather than words as a primary way of prayer.  Here is a simple way to pray using imaging as a vehicle for “willing God’s will”.  

Become aware of God’s presence, imaging it as light and warmth.  Allow it to fill your consciousness.  

Now bring to your mind someone who is on your heart and needs your care and support.  This can even be someone who you hardly know at all.  

Lift this person into God’s light.  Visualize God’s love bathing the person, and gently penetrating defenses, dissolving pain, cleansing wounds.  Use any images that seem appropriate:  dark becoming light, ice melting, confusion ordered.  See the person in a state of wholeness.

Ask God that the person’s healing and wholeness be fully realized according to God’s design for this person.  Thank God for whatever gift of healing is given.  Release the person into God’s care until you pray again.  

Make some notes in your journal about who you prayed for and how this form of prayer affected you.  How did it feel to be released from finding the right words?  

Loving God, As I move through this day, help me to share the light of your love with all those I meet. Amen.

Tuesday, February 26: Praying for the Whole World

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.


Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark [3:31-35]

Then, his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.”  And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”  

Who are your sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers?  Who is your family?  Due to all of the advances of technology the world has become a much smaller place in recent years.  More than ever before, we now have a sense of what life is like for people around the world whose lives are very, very different than our own.  And some of those lives and situations are very hard indeed.  War, famine, starvation, disease, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes.  Sometimes it just feels too overwhelming.  Sometimes we make a donation.  Some of us have even gone to far flung locations to do mission work.  But, what else can we do?  I invite you to pray.  

Prayer for the World
Adapted from 50 Ways to Pray by Teresa A. Blythe

Imagine that you are in the presence of God.  (And you are.)  Ask the Holy Spirit to pray in and through you.  Let your mind and your body be at peace.  

First, visualize where you live, your home.  Visualize everyone that you live with.  What are some of the concerns you have at home?  What are some of blessings and joy that you experience there?  In your imagination, surround all of the people and situations in your home with love.  

Now, visualize your work.  See all of the people that you come into contact with on a regular basis.  What challenges or frustrations do you have at work?  What are the gifts of your work?  How is God present with you there?  Bless all of the people that you work with and all that you might come into contact today.  

Consider now your community.  Visualize the people and places of the community.  What are the blessings and gifts of your community?  What are the needs?  Ask how God would like for you to serve or impact your community.  Now, just hold the entire community in your heart.  Ask God’s blessing.

Your country.  Imagine looking down upon our entire country just like you would look down upon a map.  Imagine all the hugely varied people and communities that are contained within the United States.  Open your heart to our country as a whole.  What are the blessings of living in the United States?   What are your prayers for the country?  As you imagine all of the United States, ask God’s help and blessing.

The earth.   The earth is filled with billions of people and many of them live in desperate situations.  How can we begin to pray for all of these situations?  You have all seen those beautiful pictures of the earth from space.  Imagine that picture in your mind now. And now just open your heart to the entire earth.  You don’t need to formulate any solutions or plans.  Ask the Spirit to pray in and through you.  Just offer your open heart to the whole earth.  

End your prayer with:  

We pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  

Do you think that praying like this can affect any of the problems in your home, work, community or world?  Does it make any sense to pray for the whole world like this?  I invite you to write for a few moments in your prayer journal. Do you have specific prayers for the world that you would like to record?  

Loving God, The earth is my home. Remind me to treat the earth, and all of my brothers and sisters who live on it, with reverence and care. Amen.

Monday, February 25: A Prayer of Presence

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Book of Psalms [31:5]

Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth. 

A Prayer of Presence 

Today I invite you to practice a prayer of communion rather than conversation.  It is the prayer of presence, simply being in God’s presence.  This is both very simple and very difficult.  It is simple because there is really nothing to do except to be.  It is difficult because there is nothing to DO!  We humans do not seem to be built very well for simply being.  We want to know what to do and how to do it.

Here is an excerpt from Marjorie Thompson’s book Soul Feast:

A simple gaze toward One who loves us unshakably--this is contemplative prayer.  It is absorption in loving God with our whole being--not strenuously, but as a spontaneous response of the heart.  Contemplative prayer is resting in God, allowing the Spirit to fill and move us as God wills.  It is pure receptivity and adoration.  It is quiet, tender, and sober, or playful, gentle, and joyous.  

The late Russian Orthodox archbishop Anthony Bloom tells of an eighteenth-century priest who once asked an aged peasant what he was doing during the hours and hours he spent sitting in the chapel.  The old man replied, “I look at Him, He looks at me, and we are happy.”   

Can it really be that simple?  The answer is yes.  And it may even be quite enjoyable.  

If you are able, set a timer for whatever period of time you wish.  I would suggest at least 10 minutes.  

Sit in a comfortable position.  It’s best to be in a chair in which you feel very supported and with your feet flat on the floor.  

Take a few deep breaths and with the last out breath feel your mind and body relax.  Let all of the tension, thoughts and worries in your mind and body go.  Simply release them.  

Now remind yourself that God is present. Place yourself in God’s presence.  It may help you to imagine God as a person or being  or as Spirit that fills the space around you.  You might prefer to think of Jesus in his bodily form and imagine him being in the room with you.  Know that God or Jesus are completely loving and accepting of you.  There is no judgment.  There is no fear.  Only love and complete acceptance.  Now simply rest into that love.  Accept the gift of God’s love and presence.  

As you attempt to rest, your mind will be busy and distractions will come.  Very gently, simply release them and return to resting in the presence of God.  

When your time is finished, end your prayer time by thanking God for any gifts that you might have received from this time together.  

Write in your journal about what this experience was like for you.  Is it something you would like to experience again?  Can you imagine praying like this on a regular basis?  

Saturday, February 23: Asking for What We Need

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel according to John [4:5-13]

Eventually Jesus came to the Samaritain village of Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.  Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jeus said to her, “Please give me a drink”.  He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.  

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.  She said to Jesus,  “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman.  Why are you asking me for a drink?”

Jesus replied,  “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket”, she said, “and this is a very deep well.  Where would you get this living water?  And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well?  How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?"  

Jesus replied,  “People soon become thristy again after drinking this water.  But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether.  It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.”  

Sometimes when we have heard a story over and over again it loses some of the power and wonder that we may have felt when we first heard or truly understood it.  Here is a story that some of us may have heard or read a hundred times.  Certainly, I have heard it since my earliest Sunday school years and so I have always known this phrase “living water”.  But how often, if ever, have I stopped to contemplate what Jesus is truly offering here?  Think about these two words separately.  Living.  Water.  What images or feelings do they bring up for you?  What does each word mean to you?  And now, put them together.  Living water.  Do your images or understanding shift at all from previously?  

How do we accept this Living Water?  How do we take it into ourselves so that we can have that “perpetual spring”.  To be honest, I'm not completely sure.  But, I think that at least part of the answer is that I must ask Jesus for what I want and need.

How do you feel about asking Jesus for a taste of that water?  For an experience of that inner spring?  

I invite you to repeat this prayer for a moment or two.  

Lord Jesus Christ,
Be my living water.
Come and quench my thirst.

For your journal: What are you thirsty for? What specifically do you need in your life right now? Do you believe that Jesus can affect this situation?  Is there anything else that you would like to say to God?  

Loving God, throughout this day, remind me of my need for you. Amen

Friday, February 21: Prayer of Confession

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark [2:13-17]

Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them.  As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.”  And he got up and followed him.  And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples--for there were many who followed him.  When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples,  “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”  

Read the passage through twice, slowly and prayerfully.  

Who do you identify with more in this story, the tax collectors and sinners or the scribes and the pharisees?  I think that I have always been on the side of the tax collectors and sinners since it seems that Jesus favors them a little bit as well.  At least that is who he is having dinner with.  The scribes and pharisees are always so self righteous to me.  I certainly wouldn’t want to be like them.  But am I?  Do I view myself as good or at least good enough?   Or do I recognize myself as someone who fails and who falls short of all that Christ has called me to on a pretty regular basis?  If I were a character in this story, I would want to be someone who has a need for Jesus.

Today is another opportunity to practice a prayer of confession.  Let us join our humbled hearts together to pray corporately for forgiveness to our loving God.  

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name.  Amen

How does it feel to pray this prayer? Does it hold any meaning for you? Spend a few minutes meditating upon any specific confessions that you might like to share with God. Is there anything that is coming between you and your relationship with God right now? Record in your journal any specific confessions that you might have.

Thursday, February 21: Praying with the Psalms

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible.  These songs and hymns have been  prayed by Jews and Christians of every denomination for millennia.  There are still monastic communities that pray all of the Psalms through every single week.  Join today in this ancient practice by not just reading the following Psalm, but actually praying it.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Pray the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart.  Recall as you pray that you are praying a prayer that has been recited countless number of times by our spiritual ancestors for thousands and thousands of years.  Your prayer joins with their prayers.  Click here for a contemporary version of this Psalm from Psalms for Praying by Nan Merrilll.  

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.  

Therefore we will not fear, though the  earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;

Though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.  

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.  

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown;
God shall help her at the break of day.

The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken;
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Come now and look upon the works of the Lord,
what awesome things he has done on earth.  

It is he who makes war to cease in all the world;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, then, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

After praying the prayer through at least two times, finish the prayer by responding to the invitation from God in this Psalm to “Be still, then, and know that I am God.”  That is all.  Be still.  Know that God is God.  Remain in stillness for several minutes.  

For your journal:

Was there anything particular that spoke to you in the Psalm?   Did it feel like prayer to you? How do you feel about the stillness, about being  still?  What does it mean to you to know that God is God?   

Loving God,  Still my restless and fearful heart.  May I live each day knowing that whatever comes, whether blessing or pain, you are my refuge and strength, always  present in love.  Amen

Prayer for Wednesday, February 20

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Mark [1:29-35]

As soon as Jesus left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.  He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.  Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.  And the whole city was gathered around the door.  And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.  

What do you notice in the story?  What is meaningful to you?  

In the last sentence we read, “he got up and went out”.  This is a perfect lead in to one of my favorite types of prayer, praying in and with nature.  

Jesus must have been exhausted after a night of healing and interaction with “the whole city”.  We notice that he didn’t choose to sleep late the next morning in order to recharge. Instead, he went out of doors, into the wilderness, where he could find solitude, and where,I believe, he could feel closest to his Father.  

I have found a daily contemplative walk to be absolutely invaluable to my spiritual life.  I am indeed recharged every time I go out as I experience God’s presence in the trees, plants, clouds, sunshine, wind or snow.  My head is cleared of cobwebs, my lungs are filled with fresh clean air and my heart opens up to all around me.  To me, it is a holy appointment that my insistent canine companions (yes, my dogs) helps me to keep with God every day.  

Jesus “got up and went out”.  I encourage you to do the same.  Today, make time for a walk, preferably alone or with your pet if they don’t require a lot of attention.  Try to walk in a spot where there is a lot of nature.  You are not going for exercise, you are going to commune with God.  Walk slowly.  Wander.  Don’t hurry.  Enjoy your time.  Feel the air on your face.  Listen for birdsong.  Take deep breaths of fresh air.  You may want to talk with God or you may just want to observe and experience all that is around you.  Know that God is there.

If you just don’t have the time to take a walk today, take one soon.  In the meantime, I encourage you to just step outside for a few minutes.  Stand on your deck or porch and look at the trees, the stars, the snow.  Listen for sounds of nature.  Let the cold air touch your face.  Enjoy the beauty of nature for a few minutes.  Breathe.

End your experience by expressing your gratitude to God for the beauty of nature and all the ways that it nourishes us.  

Record your thoughts, awarenesses or prayers in your prayer journal.  Were you able to experience God outdoors?  What feels challenging for you?  What is easy?  Does this seem like prayer to you? 

Loving God, may the beauty of all that surrounds me draw me closer to You. Amen.

Prayer for Tuesday, February 19

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 21:12-13  

Then Jesus went to the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And he said to them, “My house is to be called a house of prayer but you have made it a den of robbers!”  
What about your house?  This could mean the actual home that you  live in or it could mean your body or your inner house.   Is your house a house of prayer?  The places that we live, whether it be our home or our mind, body or spirit can become very busy, cluttered and distracted places.  In his letter to the Corinthians 6:19, Paul reminds us that our bodies are sacred vessels, he calls them temples. “Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?”  

Today, I invite you to a form of prayer that allows your body to be a house of prayer, I invite you to pray with your body.  Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds.  Do you realize that when you bow your head for prayer you are praying with your body?  You have placed yourself in a certain physical posture that may help create prayer-full-ness.  Bowing our head seems to naturally incline us to prayer. It helps us shift into prayerful space.  Similarly, kneeling is a prayer position that may signify many inner attitudes such as humility, contrition, worship, adoration or surrender.  I think that I experience all of those things as I kneel at the altar after having received Holy Communion.

Prayer:

Begin in a seated position with your hands lying palm upward in your lap.  This is a relaxed and open position.  Close your eyes.  Remind yourself that God is completely present with you.  You are in God’s presence.  Now, very gently and slowly, raise your hands up from your lap.  You may lift them up as high or low as you are led.  With your eyes closed, bring your attention to your hands and to their position.  Try to be deeply aware of your body, not your mind.  Don’t think too hard about this.  Remain in this position several minutes.  If your hands or arms tire, gently drop them back into your lap.  Lift them up again to God intermittently as you are led.   How do you feel in this position?  What do you feel you are saying to God through this movement?  Is there supplication? Worship? Surrender? What might God be saying to you?  What might you be receiving from God?  

Stay in the position as long as you like.  Finish with an amen and let your hands rest in your lap again.  

If you would like, respond to some of the questions above in your journal.  

Dear Jesus, Clear out my inner space. Help me to release anything that gets in the way of being present with you. Throughout this day may my house be a house of prayer. Amen.

Prayer for Monday, February 18

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by quieting yourself and  asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.


A Reading from the Book of Deuternonomy [8:11-16]

Moses convened all Israel, and said to them:  Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.  When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who lead you through the great and terrible wilderness, and arid waste land with poisonous snakes and scorpions.  He made water flow for you from flint rock and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good.

In addition to the time that Jesus spent in the desert, the 40 days of  of Lent also reminds us of the 40 years that the children of Israel spent wandering in the desert before they were able to make permanent homes in the land of Israel.  In this passage, they have already passed through all of the difficulties of the journey and are now settling down to build their new lives.  Moses reminds them in advance of the human tendency to stop noticing all of the blessings and goodness in their lives, to forget all of the things that God has given them and to begin to think that all of the good things have come to them through their own hard work alone.

Today, I invite you to pray a prayer of remembrance and gratitude.  

Begin by quieting yourself and opening your heart to God, the Giver of all good things.

We all have a story of our life.  Take a moment now to look back over your story.   You may want to start at the beginning of your life or choose a certain time period that was particularly difficult, rewarding, or interesting, or you may just want to  look over the last several years.  Close your eyes and let your story unfold.  Notice the changes, challenges, joy, grief, adventure, and difficulties that make up your story.  Spend several moments doing this.  Don’t rush it.

Looking back at your story, are you able to see God's presence in your story?  How was God present with you?  How is God present with you now?  

Spend some time thanking God for the many experiences that you have come through and for the ways God has been present with you.  Thank God for all of the good things that have come into your life and also the challenges.  You may want to do this with words or you may just want to be in silence and offer God a heart that is filled with gratitude.  

Make some notes in your journal about your story and your experience of God’s presence.  What are you grateful for?  What parts of your story do you still find it hard to be grateful for?  


Loving Jesus, Throughout this day, may I feel deep gratitude for all of the parts of my life. Open my eyes to the gifts and blessings of this day.