Day 265 | Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Day 265 - Audio Version

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Day 265 | Wednesday, 9 December 2020
 
Woodland neighbors, come to your garages today for prayer at noon if you prefer.
 
Each one of us has our own prayer language, the times and places and methods of praying.  When Jesus needed to recharge his life, he often would get away from the demands of the people including his needy disciples and find a place to pray.

Mark 1:35 – “Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer.”

Mark 6:46 “After saying good-bye to them, Jesus went up onto a mountain to pray.”

Acts 10:9 “At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.”

Luke 6:12 “During that time, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night long.”

Matthew 6:5-13 Showy prayer
5 “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 6 But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

Proper prayer
7 “When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do. They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask. 9 Pray like this:
Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name.
10 Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.
11 Give us the bread we need for today.
12 Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.
13 And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
 
I encourage you to read the following more than once with your last reading being a prayerful reading.  Hear what the words are saying.
 
“Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire” a hymn by James Montgomery, 1818

1.   “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast.”

2.   “Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near.”

3.   “Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try; prayer the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high.”

4.   “Prayer is the contrite sinners’ voice, returning from their way, while angels in their songs rejoice and cry, “Behold, they Pray!”

5.   “Prayer is the Christians’ vital breath, the Christians’ native air; their watchword at the gates of death; they enter heaven with prayer.”
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6.   “O Thou, by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way: the path of prayer thyself hast trod; Lord, teach us how to pray!”
 
Gracious, listening God, help us find our mountain, our roof top, our garden or our closet where we might go to be alone with you in our prayer time.  We know that you hear our simple yet sincere prayers.  We pray for our neighbors, for our families, for our friends.  We pray for everyone wrestling with this terrible corona virus, young and old, poor and rich, professionals and unemployed, scientists and researchers.  Lord, in this season of Advent – help us prepare for the coming of the prince of hope, love, joy and peace.  Amen