Daily Digest #151
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5I believe in the power of prayer. Many times, I have asked for what I thought was impossible, but God has answered me in extraordinary and much more favorable ways. I have been a witness of how prayer has moved mountains. Not only did it fill me with awe and wonder about God's greatness, it has also humbled me because it reminded me that God is always in control and He is always working out the best for each of us. He has reason and purpose beyond our comprehension, which He also reveals to us in the end. God is everywhere. He knows our every thought, he hears every word, and sees every action. He loves us, even when we don't believe.
Allow me to share yesterday's entry from Our Daily Bread (read below). I realize how He never fails when we ask for courage, strength and wisdom, which are all much greater than the material things that we seek. For this, may we learn how to pray. May we build an intimate relationship with the Lord, pouring out everything to Him, as if we are talking to the closest person we know. May we not be afraid to ask questions, nor doubt that He will ever answer because He has an answer to everything. And we will see or hear it only if we choose to. Pray always.
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Showing Up
READ: Psalm 116
Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. —Psalm 116:2
Leonardo da Vinci spent 10 years drawing ears, elbows, hands, and other parts of the body in many different aspects. Then one day he set aside the exercises and painted what he saw. Likewise, athletes and musicians never become great without regular practice.
For years I resisted a regular routine of prayer, believing that communication with God should be spontaneous and free. But I found that I needed the discipline of regularity to make possible those exceptional times of free communication with God. Eventually I learned that spontaneity often flows from discipline.
The writer Nancy Mairs says she attends church in the same spirit she goes to her desk every morning to write, so that if an idea comes she’ll be there to receive it. I approach prayer the same way. I keep on whether it feels like I am profiting or not. I show up in hopes of getting to know God better, perhaps hearing from Him in ways accessible only through solitude.
The English word meditate derives from a Latin word that means “to rehearse.” Often my prayers seem like a kind of rehearsal. I go over basic notes (the Lord’s Prayer), practice familiar pieces (the Psalms), and try out a few new tunes. Mainly, I show up. — Philip Yancey
Leonardo da Vinci spent 10 years drawing ears, elbows, hands, and other parts of the body in many different aspects. Then one day he set aside the exercises and painted what he saw. Likewise, athletes and musicians never become great without regular practice.
For years I resisted a regular routine of prayer, believing that communication with God should be spontaneous and free. But I found that I needed the discipline of regularity to make possible those exceptional times of free communication with God. Eventually I learned that spontaneity often flows from discipline.
The writer Nancy Mairs says she attends church in the same spirit she goes to her desk every morning to write, so that if an idea comes she’ll be there to receive it. I approach prayer the same way. I keep on whether it feels like I am profiting or not. I show up in hopes of getting to know God better, perhaps hearing from Him in ways accessible only through solitude.
The English word meditate derives from a Latin word that means “to rehearse.” Often my prayers seem like a kind of rehearsal. I go over basic notes (the Lord’s Prayer), practice familiar pieces (the Psalms), and try out a few new tunes. Mainly, I show up. — Philip Yancey
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant’s lips can try;
Prayer the sublimest strains that reach
The Majesty on high. —Montgomery
Prayer is an intimate conversation with our God.
That infant’s lips can try;
Prayer the sublimest strains that reach
The Majesty on high. —Montgomery
Prayer is an intimate conversation with our God.
Labels: daily digest, reflections
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