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.