Greetings to you, child of the King, in the precious name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Savior! What a beautiful winter’s morning in the Kingdom! And what an opportunity to rejoice and be glad in this day that the Lord has made for us! I believe the Lord has new mercies, new blessings for us and we need to pay attention and give thanks for each one as it comes to us. Someone has said that the way to receive more from God is to be thankful for what He has already done for you. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to release you from any doubts or fears or overwhelming concerns or reservations or bondages.
This morning as I began my devotions, and knowing that I was going to read a few prayers, God reminded me of words that I had read about the act of reading prayers. Actually it was words from Saint Theophan…do not forget to dig into the meaning and to experience the feeling in each word…the words them selves will hold your attention and warm you into a prayerful attitude. I must admit that there are times when I think that I am only reading the prayer and not praying the prayer.
So this morning, as I was reading one the prayers using Saint Theophan’s suggestion, a handful of words caught my attention – Just standing in Your presence infuses me with faith. I think it was the image of standing in His presence that did it. I started thinking of song lyrics and Bible verses that talked of ‘stand’ and ‘standing’ as, in the middle of a prayer, I took a little side trip.
Paul told us to be strong in the Lord’s mighty power so we could “stand”-“stand”-“stand” with and for our faith. Paul talked to sailors on a boat in the middle of a storm when all hope was gone and told them of the angel of God who stood beside him. Moses told the people to stand still and see God work. David said to stand still and know that He is God. We sing “standing on the promises” and “stand up for Jesus” and “standing somewhere in the shadows you’ll find Jesus”. I have a sense that right now your mind is humming along reminding you of other references.
So next time you are reading a prayer, do not forget to “dig into the meaning” and “experience the feeling’ of the words that are before you. Oddly enough it is the same approach to Scripture reading that will bring the passages to life. Of course, it might take you a little longer than you expected but what a delight!
Just a little something to ponder…have a blessed day!