Prayer: Rest in God

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Prayer: Rest in God

The quote at the beginning of the first chapter, “What I Wish and Desire,” is from St. Anselm. He mentions “Make a little time for God and rest in Him.” [1] I came to a full stop when I read those words. Both phrases. First and foremost, I need to make a little time for God regularly. I need to make this happen in my life.

Sure, when I pray with my friends from Morning Prayer online (from www.dailyoffice.org), this is my go-to, wonderful online prayer group. But, I need some kind of regular individual prayer, too. This regular prayer time has been such a difficulty for me for years. My life is, frankly, somewhat chaotic. I have no ordered daily activities. Weekly activities, yes. But, not a daily, everyday routine that I can count on. (Again frankly, I do not think I would be likely to keep such a routine up, on a daily basis.)

However, I see the deep need inside of me for some kind of prayer, personal and individual prayer, on a regular basis. Perhaps that is why I come back to Ignatian prayer and meditation, again and again.

The second part of this quote from St. Anselm tells me to “rest in God.” Oh, what an inviting image! What a welcoming, encouraging thought, too. Immediately, I am drawn to the image of the lush green pasture and the cool, clear pool of water that I have seen when praying Psalm 23 (in Ignatian prayer, of course). Oh, dear Lord, would that I be able to rest in You whenever I have need!

With St. Anselm, I do pray to seek God. I hope and pray that through this book, this Ignatian guide of praying with Scripture, I might have the joy and delight of spending time with God, just God and me. Lord, You know my heart. You know that I need to find regular time with You, one on one. Help me to rest in You, delight in Your presence, and rejoice to find that green pasture and pool of water You have intended just for me. You intend it for all of us. It’s in Jesus’s name, the name of the Good Shepherd, I pray. Amen.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my companion blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

[1] Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Praying with Scripture, Timothy M. Gallagher, OVM (United States of America: Crossroad Publishing, 2008), 19.

Shepherd Me, Good Shepherd

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, July 4, 2015

Jesus the Good Shepherd
by fleetofgypsies

Shepherd Me, Good Shepherd

Today’s New Testament Psalm is about Jesus, our Shepherd. I read this modern Psalm with great interest. I’ve always had a bit of feeling of kinship with the Shepherd/sheep analogy in the Bible. This topic seemed to be a natural for this book Praying the New Testament as Psalms, by Fr. Desmond O’Donnell and Sr. Maureen Mohen.

Two of the Psalm sections seemed to leap off the page at me. First, and most strongly, “As the sheep know the voice of their shepherd, may I know Your voice in the midst of life’s turmoil.” [1] This affects me, personally and deeply.

As I look back on my life, especially in the last three decades, I have been grateful for God’s guiding, shepherding hand. Even though I don’t always feel it, even though I have often been wandering in the wilderness, lost and alone, I still feel a kinship. And, I earnestly want to know God’s voice. My Good Shepherd’s voice.

A second section of this modern Psalm moves me, in a different way. It is adapted from Jesus’ words in John 10: “Help me to extend a welcome to all—‘one flock, one shepherd’—Christ’s prayer. [2] This touches the pastor and pastoral care-giver in me. Where the first section is focused inward, towards me in a distinctly interior way, this section is directed outward.

I feel I ought to ask for help. I want my Shepherd to help me to learn to be a shepherd, myself. I realize I will only make a halfway decent job of being a shepherd. However, with the Great Shepherd’s guiding, helping hand, I’ll do a better job than I ever would, doing it on my own!

Gentle Shepherd, thank You for Your help. Dear Lord Jesus, continue to shepherd me, please!

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

[1] Praying the New Testament as Psalms, Desmond O’Donnell, OMI, and Maureen Mohen, RSM, (United States of America: ACTA Publications, 2002.), 42.

[2][2] Ibid.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

matterofprayer blog post for Thursday, October 9, 2014

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

As I was praying this morning, I read some more of a passage in the New Testament. I’ve been working through this extended passage for some three weeks. (With a hesitation/break included. You can read more about it in my previous blog post. http://wp.me/p43g3i-5u)

In my reading today, the scripture passage ended with 1 John 4:16a. I especially focused on the words of the first section of this verse. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.” I reflected on the fact that I came to realize, very early, that God loved me.

I grew up in an unchurched home in Chicago. My parents were born and raised Catholic, but they chose not to raise their children in any particular church. I still—to this day—don’t know exactly why I started to attend the Lutheran church in my neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, but I did attend, from a young age. And, I was blessed to be taught about God’s love by the pastor of that church. God is the Good Shepherd, One who loves me and takes care of me. (Thank you, Pastor Wold!) I learned that God’s love was “deep and wide,” and that “Jesus loves me.” I learned much more as I went through confirmation class, too.

This morning, I continued to reflect on how I came to begin to understand the amazing, boundless love of God. I also thought of people who don’t have a positive experience with God. Or, God’s love. They grow up with the idea of a punishing God. Or, a capricious God. Or, with absolutely no idea of God at all. This reflection brought me to tears. I realized how blessed I was, having had a concept of a loving, caring God in my life! This probably helped me through my turbulent teenage years. I shudder to think what my teens and twenties would have been like . . .

And now, knowing God intimately for as long as I have, I can no more think of a life without God than a life without breathing. Thank You, God!

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for leading me to You. I can’t even remember how I came to You, at first, but I did start. And, I kept attending church. Even though I wended and wandered in my way, even though we might not be faithful in gathering with Your flock, that doesn’t make any difference. You love us! You keep drawing us closer and closer to You. Thank You, Lord! Thanks for those lessons I had early in life. And, thanks for the continued assurance of Your love, caring and nurture. It’s in Jesus’ blessed name we pray, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(also published at www.matterofprayer.net