Abide With Me!

What a blessing to know that God is accessible to all of us - no matter where we are or what is happening in our lives! However, in spiritual direction classes and books, a lot of focus is on listening to God, rather than just asking Him to do what we think He needs to do for us by telling/asking Him; we want Him to listen to us.

One term that some use for this kind of prayer is contemplation. This is a time when we do our deep breathing, clear our minds, and possibly use a short "breath prayer" such as "Jesus, open my heart," or "Abide with me."  Some who practice this kind of prayer say that they immediately realize God is speaking to them, but others report that it is like God speaks to the "sub-conscious." Therefore, they don't recognize immediate "words" or changes but slowly realize that God is guiding their lives in a more powerful way.

What happens in your prayer life? Do you use a scripture to guide your prayer time? Do you have a way to listen for God's guidance? Have you ever had an experience like that described in today's scripture passage from Isaiah 50:4: "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught"? 

I pray that you will have time to focus on the lyrics of the beautiful old hymn, "Abide With Me" during today's worship time. It is a blessed reminder of seeking our Lord to abide in us and we in Him.