This past week was the Summer Week of Prayer at Trinity UMC and I was ever so glad to still be on the mailing list for Trinity. In a time of a lack of a large local community, it has been such a blessing to be reminded that our community is a global one as well. I’ve compiled a few of the prayers that resonated most with me from this past collection and am excited to share them here as I went through each day from many miles away.
The first day range true to me in many ways. I have long meditated on what it means to “be still” and to truely listen to Him and be filled by His love & mercy while in this country. As one of the days contributors put it:
“Mother Teresa once said that “God is the friend of silence.” And in those moments of lost articulation, I find out what she meant by that.”
It seems such an easy task on the many missions where no other task it at hand but to serve Him & to know Him more. Yet I constantly feel that tug here as well. Were we not made to worship regardless of location or occupation?
“Father, I wander so far away from you with the demands over my life and the way I choose to use my free time. I struggle with my using my God given gifts and talents to be in control of my life. I jump out and take charge of my life and leave you behind so many times. With schedules, responsibilities, my expectations and the expectations of others, I barely leave anytime to BE STILL and know that you are God. Forgive me, I pray. I have this moment with you Lord before my mind races away…to tell you I love you, Lord. I am humbled by your extraordinary love for me. Thank you for these quiet moments we are spending together…moments available to me as your beloved child. I realize the more I am with you, the more my heart desires to be in your presence.You know I am not perfect, Lord. I forget sometimes that you don’t ask me to be perfect. You only ask that I am willing and that in my weaknesses you will be made strong. You alone are all I need. As I step away to re-enter the world, may the words of my mouth be pleasing to you. May I keep this meditation in my heart and be holy as you are holy. Holy Spirit, thank you for guiding my thoughts and words. Help me to listen for your quiet inspiration throughout the rest of the day.”
On another day I was reminded of the need to SPECIFICALLY pray for others by name…
And what power that holds. Not only for moments of that persons need, but daily. I’ve been diligent in prayers of the moment for friends and family in short term sickness, joblessness, or exams. However unless provoked by specific needs, there is just a sense of lacking in my conversations with the Lord of the people in my life, both close & somewhat estranged.
Over the past 6 weeks, one of my dear friends has been living and serving in another country and it has been my mission to continually pray for her while she was there. I wish I could say I never faltered in that time, but I would be lying to say the least. This prayer has encouraged me & inspired me to be more proavtive in filling that void.
“Pour out your power into the life of the person I have just named. Help them to know their need for Jesus. Give them the energy to pursue their goals, the wisdom to turn from evil thoughts and deeds, the courage to face their anxieties and fears, and the comfort they need as you heal their wounds and their grief. Help them to flourish. And though you may not give them exactly what they want, I trust that you will give them exactly what they need. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, knowing that you hear and that you answer.”
On the final day, I was blessed to be reading the words that my ever encouraging mother-in-law wrote. Using the familiar guide of A.C.T.S. prayer she outlined a simple way to start in that conversation and beautifully laid out the closing prayer for the week.
A = adoration – we tell God how much we love him!!C = confession – we confess our sins and ask for forgivenessT = thanksgiving – we give thanks for our blessingsS = supplication – we intercede on behalf of others“Father, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you. Jesus, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you. Spirit, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you. Father, forgive our sins. We have sinned by thought, word and deed . . .and we have also sinned because of things we have left undone. Father, forgive us when we fail to be your hands and feet. Forgive us when we fail to have compassion for the poor. Forgive us when we fail to feed the hungry. Father God, we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. We give thanks for the opportunity to pray freely throughout our day. We give thanks for our church and our pastors. We give thanks for that ancient means of prayer – the labyrinth. On this day, we pray for those among us who are sick. We pray for those who are in the hospital. We pray for those who struggle. We pray for those with recent diagnosis. We pray for those undergoing treatment.”
This past week has been filled with many exciting things in life and lots of running around and being busy. It has been such a blessing to be reminded daily to slow down and to join in the ever continuous conversation with our Father. It is my prayer that these words would continue with me past this week, and for many years to come. That daily I am reminded to take a moment to be in silence with my Creator. All of things I ask in the most name of all. Amen.
your post made me cry!! Love you lots and am so glad that the prayers of the week were meaningful for you. Wish you could have been here to walk the labyrinth – wow – it was powerful. On Sunday morning (my second time to walk), when I reached the center I was praising God more than I ever have.
I shouldn't recommend a book I haven't read, but I have at least skimmed this one and it seems really promising. It's called A Praying Life and the author is Paul Miller. I plan to read it very soon, and after reading this post I thought you might be interested too!