Midweek Meditation - What's on Your Heart Today?

       Every Wednesday morning, from 8:30 to 9:00, I try to meet up on a conference call with other contemplatives to pray for the world.  This call happens faithfully (no pun intended) because of Shalem Institute, and anyone can join us.  No matter how little or how often you can be on the call, all are welcome – from all (or no) faith backgrounds.

We start the half hour with someone, like me, a graduate of a Shalem program, who leads us into 15 minutes of silence via prayer, poetry, a reading from varied sacred scriptures, famous authors, or occasionally by visualization.  Sometimes the leader will remind us of something currently going on in our world that needs God’s healing.  And at the end of our time of silence, we come together to voluntarily share anything that we feel strongly about – whether a word from or a sense of God – and we say our name and from where we are calling.  It is so good to hear familiar names, week after week, but it's also a bit exciting when someone new or from far away shares what is on their hearts.

So… What is on your heart today?  

Are you troubled by anything in particular, in your life or in the lives of our worldwide sisters and brothers?  Are you pleased about something that’s happened or about to take place for you?  Are you feeling lonely, unusually anxious, unsure?  Or are you feeling content, grateful, at peace? Whatever is going on within you today, God already knows about it.  So talk with God about what’s on your heart. Sometimes just talking to God will help you ease your loneliness, find an answer, or increase your feeling of happiness.  And then LISTEN.

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Prayers for the World

God's Promises for Our Hearts

      My heart is full of thankfulness and joy, because of God's great love for me - and how He continues to show it through the people God has brought into my life in the last two months.  When you ask the Lord to bless you with the desires of your heart, you will be bowled over by the generosity of the Holy Spirit.  God always gives more greatly than anything you or I can imagine!

I share with you a song that makes me often cry (or at least tear-up) each time I hear it or sing its words of promise and praise.  I hope it will bring you a couple of minutes to ponder on the great mystery of God and all that our Creator lovingly offers to us in this world and the next.

Enjoy this song - Eye Has Not Seen - and I hope you hum it the rest of the day!  If you remember nothing more than the first line of the refrain, then offer it up as prayer...

"Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard,

what God has ready

for those who love him."

- Marty Haugen

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Today's Prayerful Heart

Blessed Trinity, one God,

I thank you for bringing me to this new day.

I want to dedicate it 

in the way that pleases You, my Creator.

I want to live it like Jesus,

consumed by His love for You.

I want to listen for the

Holy Spirit to lead me

into the places and into the lives 

of those I can help the most today -

in other words,

by doing Your Will.

Let me see the face of Christ

in everyone I meet - 

even if the only face I see today 

is the one in the mirror.

Allow me to hear your

soft voice and to feel your

gentle nudgings toward what I can do 

for You and for others.

And remind me that what I do for others

I do for You.

Give me the grace

to appreciate everything

that You have given freely

to me - body, mind, and spirit -

so I can live my day

giving all deserving glory

back to you.

These are the ways that

I want to live out my day.

But, for me,

the question always remains,

"How will I actually live out this day?"

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