WATCHWORD:
In a recent Daily Bread reading, there was a short commentary on 2 Kings 6, speaking of an iron axehead that floated: The simple miracle enshrines a profound truth: God cares about the small stuff of life – lost axeheads, lost glasses, lost phones, (lost freedoms) – the things that cause us to fret. He doesn’t always restore what’s lost, but He understands and comforts us in our distress.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Meditation About Prayers:
There are days when I struggle to find the words to use in a devotional. The self-imposed deadlines are often a threat and there are times when I use my ‘escape clause’, “Help me, Jesus.” More often than not, I find myself working through thoughts that have come to me and even have found myself in a conversation with the Lord. Maybe you can relate to the following:
A Dialog with Jesus
And Jesus says, in my response to my cry: Just keep in touch, my Child. Don’t worry about the Prayers, or your meditations, they will come. The important thing is communication, it’s the human I created, reaching out to Me.
Don’t worry about the Words, they will come. In My own time, they will come. Stay tuned, always stay tuned to Me, the Lord and your Brother. Do not lose touch.
Don’t worry about the Prayers, they will come, inspiration will spring from thoughts and readings, and circumstances, and even in criticisms, from feelings of disappointments, from isolation and loneliness, and even from a loss, for, My Child, I know all of this. So, don’t worry about the words, the Prayers, they will come. Keep your thoughts on me and they will come.
But, Lord, I do worry about the Prayers. I seek that time when Prayers just flow, and form sentences, into paragraphs into essays, all expressing love for you.
I do worry about the Prayers. Prayers that I want to say to You, what I want them to say. To lift up others, to move them beyond loneliness, beyond loss, to that special place where peace begins, and faith is restored.
I know, my son, but, don’t worry about the words you use, I read your heart.
But, my Lord, I do worry about the Prayers, for I want them to be just right. I want them to speak, not just to You, but to echo throughout your Kingdom, line upon line.
My Child, My Child, Do not let pride get in the way of talking to me. I know you worry about your Prayers for often they are for others, I know them before you speak them. Your prayers are founded upon emotions, and imaginations, and remembrances of good times and times of pain and loss. Focus not on the past, dear child, focus on blessings. Focus on Me.
But, Lord, I do worry about the Prayers, for somewhere deep, if they should come, a prayer followed by another and another, and soon all thought and feelings are formed. Soon my true prayer to you appears and, if blessed by You, my Lord, those Prayers may touch others.
My Son, you worry too much about lessor things. My Love for you, is enough to overcome all worry. What is important? Your love-thoughts, and the knowledge that My Peace is sufficient.
You say I should not worry about the words I use in my prayers? Really, my Lord and Savior? My love-thoughts are sufficient in themselves? Oh!
As Your Peace settles around me, Lord, I know in my heart that my love-prayers will find a partner, a neighbor, long-lost friends, blessings of a beach at sunset, a child’s face, a placid lake, a snow-covered mountain, all gifts and graces from You, all wrapped in my prayer-thoughts, all gifts to, and from You.
Thank you, Lord. Prayers do come and they find themselves a partner, and my heart is stirred with gratitude.
And so it goes; stay attentive to the murmurings of the Holy Spirit for they are the words of the Lord and Savior, speaking to you, perhaps inspiring you to action, peace and love.
May the Peace of the Lord settle around you and inspire you to reach out in love, just as our Lord has instructed us. Amen.
