Matthew 6:6 -- Psalm 19 -- Hebrews 12:12-17
Today's reading from Listening to Lent, refers us back to Matthew 6:6. "Whenever you pray..." I just counted in the reference section of my Bible, more than 100 references to prayer. It's a pretty big deal, prayer. We're given opportunities for prayer over and over again throughout the day. Chances to pray for hurting people. Chances to lift friends, enemies, and others up to God's grace. Chances to soften our own hearts to the plight of others. Chances not to judge, but to love. Tuesday night, when tornadoes ripped through towns south and east of us, many people lost everything. Everything that seemed important to them--clothes, computers, photo albums, collections, grandma's recipes, favorite earrings, cds, dvds, televisions, recliners, lamps, family heirlooms...everything. Some, 52 I believe, lost their very lives. How might our prayers change in the face of such devastation? I have a friend, Ryan, who lived in the dorm at Union University in Tennessee that was destroyed. He lost everything. His classes have been canceled for the next 2 weeks, as people begin to pick up the pieces of what's left. He's asked for prayers for he and his classmates. When I went to his facebook, I had an eerie feeling when I saw that he had posted pictures from his birthday just the day before. Life is fragile. We're not promised tomorrow. I don't want to miss sharing any more moments with my creator. I don't want to miss any more opportunities, any more chances to lift others up to God's grace and love.
Psalm 19 ends with "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Shouldn't this be the goal of spending time alone with God? Not just in those quiet moments, but throughout our days. In the middle of every conversation. In the middle of every private thought. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you.
Have you ever called someone or something lame? In light of today's meaning, Hebrews 12:13 also has new meaning. "...make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame by not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." Let us pray for healing...healing of all that is lame in our lives.
3 comments:
Thanks Kendra for this. Prayer is a powerful thing, I believe it saved me Tuesday night.
Ryan
hebrews 12:14-15 stood out greatly to me. It seemed like it was saying that we must take every oppurtunity thrown at us to be nice to our enemies or just to be loving(which could be being merciful or forgiving). Becuase if we don't love our enemies and others then no one will see God's love. My translation says in 15 "see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that NO bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" So don't let anger, hate, or other things get in the way of you sharing God's love.
Wow I total didnt think of that. I didnt thnk of it that way. Todays readings really didnt speak to but now I feel something about it.
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