Friday – July 1, 2022
Scripture
Isaiah 58.11
And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Words of Hope
“May the living presence of Christ Jesus in my life today…” These are words that I pray each morning in my waking up devotion time; a time of taking on fuel for the day ahead. Personally, for me the name of my gas station is “the Living Christ Presence”. That’s simply my preference as to how I name God’s Spirit action in the lives of today’s followers of Jesus. You may prefer to name your spiritual gas station: “Jesus, God, Holy Spirit or divine love, etc.”. That’s okay; just don’t name it “yourself” or “That neighbor of questionable reputation down the street”.
Starting a morning prayer is very important, and you should pause as you do it. Be very mindful to whom you are speaking! You are talking to the God of the universe, your Creator and your greatest love. You are committing to be responsive to the divine wish for your life and the divine voice spoken to you. All of that is very serious. And you are asking that God’s power and wisdom become the fuel which will empower your life that day.
The wonderful thing is that you don’t have to drive into the gas station in a sparkly clean, new and revved-up sports car. God loves you and will fill your spiritual tank even if your life arrives in a worn-out jalopy with one flat tire. Now, as you awake each morning, which soul-fuel gas station will you use to empower the day?
Or, will you ignore the car’s fuel gauge and simply head out on life’s road without any thought to your necessary source of spiritual fuel? For your consideration, I’m offering to you the text of a spiritual start to my own mornings:
Prayer
My Lord Christ Jesus, may your presence of fill every nook and cranny of my being to grow me to become a more efficient and faithful servant. May your living presence give me your inspirational words, wisdom and the physical strength and patient persistence to achieve those opportunities which you place in my life today. Amen
Devotion Author
Donald (Luke) Day
Order of St. Francis and St. Clare