Today is Wednesday, Dec. 14, the eighteenth day in the Advent season.
Morning
Praise and Thanksgiving.
Let’s begin our prayers with Psalm 68. What an awesome God!
Let’s also pray these words:
“Great God of Heaven, words cannot capture your majesty in full! May the Holy Spirit fill us so that we may sense what is beyond words; as we bow our heads before you, may the thanks we give for our salvation be adequate and even pleasing to you. Keep us in your camp of friends. Amen.”
Confession. Let’s search our hearts, recognize our sins, confess them to the Lord, and accept forgiveness. As we search, are there places we fear to go? If so, let’s ask the Lord to lead the way.
Petitions. Using our “outside in” pattern, let’s ask God to intervene in global matters, in national needs, in our communities, schools and workplaces, in our churches and homes, and in our personal lives. Who are the specific people needing prayer?
Scripture: Matthew 8:14-17.
Silence.
Noon
Let’s continue to pray this prayer together daily:
“Lord, we have entered a season of expectation. We remember the Israelites’ past desire for a savior to arrive, and we mirror what they felt as we long now for the return of Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus, come! We pray this with some trepidation, knowing we never feel completely ready for such a day, and that loved ones around us may not be ready. And yet we continue to pray, Come Lord Jesus, come! We trust that your grace at your return will so overwhelm sin and death that all will be set right. As we pray for your full arrival, teach us how to make ourselves ready, living as watchful people. Amen.”
Night
At a minimum, let’s spend some significant time in a quiet, reflective state before retiring for the night. Embrace the day’s spiritual victories and release the failures.
If you want to start a conversation about Christian meditation techniques, use the Comments section.
Sleep well. May a vision of God give you joy.
Methodist Life 