Month: September 2015

Lord,
Please help me
To fix my heart on you
Throughout today,
Just as I do
In contemplation –
By bringing my attention
Gently back to your presence,
Every time I realise
I’ve forgotten you again.

Through Jesus’ name,
Amen.

God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognise it (Job 33:14; NLT).

He rides across the heavens to help you (Deuteronomy 33:26; NLT).

We give thanks because you are near (Psalm 75:1; NLT).

O LORD, why do you stand so far away? (Psalm 10:1; NLT).

Lord,
You are light, –
Yet we seek you
In darkness.

You speak –
Yet we seek you
In silence.

You move –
Yet we seek you
In stillness.

You are near –
Yet you can seem
So far away.

Be silent before the LORD (Zechariah 2:13; NLT).

…whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Lord,
Please help me
To reach out to you
In silence,
Until there’s neither
Me, nor you,
But only us.

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:7-8; NIV).

Remember the LORD (Jeremiah 51:50; NLT).

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NLT).

Lord,
We all live in your presence,
Whether we’re aware of it
Or not.

Please help us
To remember you
Throughout today,

For then we can rejoice in you,
And pray, and thank you,
All day long.

Amen.

God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

Clouds and thick darkness surround him (Psalm 97:2; NIV).

“I am the LORD, and I do not change” (Malachi 3:6; NLT).

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

Father,
In contemplation,
Whether my soul rises
Into your dazzling light,
Or sinks into the darkness
That surrounds you,
Your presence,
And your love,
Are just the same,
My Lord,
My God.

“Keep on seeking, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

And yet, O LORD, you are our Father! (Isaiah 64:8; NLT).

For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; NKJV).

And Christ lives within you (Romans 8:10; NLT).

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).

During contemplation,
Our souls go on
A journey of discovery
Whose goal is you –
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Living within us all.

A wise person thinks a lot about death (Ecclesiastes 7:4; NLT).

…you hold my right hand (Psalm 73:23; NLT).

…I will live in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6; NLT).

…the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

Clouds and thick darkness surround him (Psalm 97:2; NIV).

The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you (Deuteronomy 33:27; NLT).

Come, death, my friend,
Take my left hand,
For God, who holds the right,
Won’t let it go.

Come, death, my shadow,
Take my arm,
And guide me to his house
For evermore. 

Come, death, my shepherd,
Take my soul,
And lead me to the one
Who gave me life.

Come, death, my saviour,
Take me home,
Beyond the darkness,
To his everlasting arms.

Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking (Psalm 55:5; NLT).

O Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Psalm 56:2-3; NRSV).

You will be strong and free of fear (Job 11:15; NLT).

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10; NLT).

Lord,
When we avoid
Feared situations,
Places,
And people,
We feel relieved.

But that short-term relief
Rewards avoidance,
Making us more likely
To avoid our fears again,
The next time
They arise.

And, in the longer term,
The more we avoid,
The more our fears
Will grow and multiply,
Until they dominate
Our lives.

Please help us, bit by bit,
To face and conquer
Everything we dread, with you,
For then we will have life,
As you intend,
And have it to the full.

Through Jesus’ name,
Amen.

They will soar high on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31; NLT).

…we, who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NLT).

“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).

During contemplation,
My soul leaves mind and body
Far behind,
Soaring up on eagles’ wings,
Until I meet you in the air –
My Lord, my God.

“Keep on seeking, and you will find” (Matthew 7:7; NLT).

For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; NKJV).

And Christ lives within you (Romans 8:10; NLT).

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you (1 John 2:27; NLT).

Help me to seek you,
Lord, my God,
In everyone,
And even in myself.

Help me to find you,
Lord, my God,
In everyone,
And even in myself.

Help me to love you,
Lord, my God,
In everyone,
And even in myself.

Through Jesus’ name,
Amen.