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Prayer Journal: Day 303
Day 303
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. – Psalm 126:5 NKJV
The Lord doesn’t prevent illness and hardship from falling upon us, because He teaches us lessons through our trials. Jesus experienced much suffering during His lifetime, but He also felt joy and peace, probably when He spent time praying and meditating alone in the early mornings.
Before we react to things that come our way, we can pause and decide not to respond. In reacting, we sometimes sap ourselves of joy and cause unnecessary grief. Other people don’t always understand how their words can impact us in a negative way. For that reason, we need to focus on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, tenderness, and self control. It is a meditative practice to focus back on our God-given breath and allow ourselves to mute the dissonant outside world. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 276
Day 276
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. – Isaiah 26:3 NIV
Peace doesn’t come easily. How many times do our minds wander away from God?
Just like in meditation, when we sense ourselves feeling down, we can return our thoughts to trusting in God. He is in control. He knows the future. We don’t have to worry because He knows what He is doing. Everything happens for a reason. God will always help us get over whatever is bothering us. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 152
Day 152
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. – Psalm 8:3-5 NIV
We are precious in God’s sight. When we look up and behold the beauty of the heavens, we can remember how beautifully our Lord made us. He is mindful of us. He gives us glory and honor when we follow Him. He makes our paths clear.
We can be thankful for every part of ourselves–for He has made us who we are. He inspires and teaches us. He disciplines us like a kind parent would when we need to rethink how we do things. He leads us along the path that we were meant to follow. Amen.
Prayer Journal: 147
Day 147
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfolding beauty of the gentle and quiet spirit, which is great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV
The Lord values the beauty of our inner selves. The inner self sometimes requires time for meditation and reflection before the spirit becomes quiet.
Taking a break from our normal routines and from too much technology can be good for our souls.
A gentle spirit refrains from anger. When we take time to care for ourselves, to unplug from the rat race, and to have quality conversations with our family members, our spiritual life with God deepens as well. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 96
Day 96
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. – Psalm 116:7 NIV
Our dishwasher broke last night, and although it took time to hand wash the dishes, my husband helped dry them. Washing dishes in and of itself is like a meditative practice. I could feel the warmth of the water. Even my two year old wanted to help. It became a family activity.
The Lord keeps us close. He blesses us with people in our lives who help and appreciate us. He helps us solve problems and to be thankful for what we have.
During the busy pace of this world it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle, but our Lord brings us back to thankfulness. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 39
Day 39
“Be angry, and do not sin”; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26
It seems like I am angry and resentful a lot. Why do I have a short fuse some days while other days I am almost too patient, to the point of burnout? What does it mean to be angry and not sin while you are angry? Anger is not a good emotion and is not one that is kind to your body.
Anger manifests in our bodies and sometimes even causes illness. It’s not an emotion that I want to have, and yet I feel it all the time now that I am a mother and have to juggle work and taking care of my son.
I felt anger even before I was a mother because I worked and put up with non-ideal clients, co-workers, and situations. I endured those situations and sometimes suffered in silence. Other times I fought back, and that seemed to make it worse before it made it better.
Psalms 4: 4 says: Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
David, who wrote the majority of the psalms, was a man beloved by God. But he was a man who felt strong emotions and didn’t always do the right thing, yet he always repented and brought his sins to God.
Is it a sin in itself to be angry? I don’t think so. Otherwise, I think Jesus would have sinned. He certainly had moments when the Pharisees were harassing Him and trying to get Him to say something that would trap him. He even called them hypocrites at times. I’m sure He felt frustrated. He suffered everything we suffer and then some. Our problems are tiny compared to what He suffered and died for. It is a gift – salvation – and even though He felt anger sometimes, because it is human nature to feel angry from time to time, whether or not the cause is justified, He never sinned. He took on all of our burdens. He made himself a servant so that we could live and have life eternal. What a tremendous sacrifice!
So then, in comparison, what do we have to be angry about? The Bible tells us to meditate and be still, and that is the best thing to do after we have been angry. Meditation and stillness brings peace. Not the peace that the world gives, but God’s peace.
I want to be in that number “when the saints go marching in”. I don’t want to forgo Heaven because I was angry about some small thing that I wasn’t able to forgive. We need to be more like Jesus. We need to meditate more and be still. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 14
Day 14
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. – Phil. 4:8
I have been meditating a lot lately.
I remember my meditation instructor, Coleen Camenisch, saying that meditation is like a gatekeeper. It observes the thoughts passing but doesn’t let them in.
The COVID-19 virus pandemic has caused closures that I have never seen in my lifetime. It is scary, but Jesus asks us not to be afraid.
He asks us to seek the truth. He asks us to look at the good reports, not just the bad ones. He wants us to be peaceful. So even though the times may be scary and other people may be in a panic, we have a savior who has already overcome the world and who can save us.
He will give us perfect peace. No matter what is going on and no matter how many businesses close, Jesus will renew us and He will come for us. Amen.
