Saturday, Sept. 17

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Saturday, Sept. 17.

It being a Saturday, let’s try something a little different. You might want to set alarms to remind you to also stop in the middle of the day and at some point around sunset or in the evening. Ask yourself some questions at each point, and then let the answers guide you in brief times of prayer.

Morning

Where do I hope to encounter God today? Is God calling me to do something special for the kingdom today? Who needs to hear from me?

Noon

How am I doing, Lord?

Night

What story in the Bible would center me this evening? If you’re struggling to answer, think of favorite ones from childhood, assuming you were raised in a Christian setting. If you cannot think of anything, I would suggest my favorite one, the 21st Chapter of John. (The link will take you to a video portrayal of the story.)

Find your story and explore it, not as a chore, but for pleasure. Is there someone who might like to hear you read it?

May your evening rest prepare you for worship tomorrow.

Friday, Sept. 16

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Friday, Sept. 16.

Morning

Let’s draw from another prayer book to open our morning. You also can lift praises on your own, in your own words, of course.

These words are from “Prayers of Hildegard of Bingen.” She was a 12th century abbess and what some people call a Christian “mystic.”

O elemental power of eternity,
in your heart
you have ordered the universe.
You have created the universe through your Word,
according to your will.
And your Word became flesh
in the form
that descended from Adam.
In this way the deepest pain
was taken from our body.

Indeed, how marvelous is your goodness, O Savior!
Through your incarnation
you have set all things free.
From the breath of God you became man
freed from the bondage of sin.
Glory to you, Father, and your Son,
with the Holy Spirit.

In this way the deepest pain was taken from our body.

Having considered the power of the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection, once again confess your sins, knowing they are forgiven. And again, pray from a global perspective down to a personal perspective.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Psalm 84:10-12; Romans 8:31-39.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s also repeat the midday prayer from “A Celtic Primer,” a compilation by Brendan O’Malley:

Father, at noontime on this day
hallowed by the Resurrection of your Son,
we give you thanks for your presence among us.
Yours is the earth and its fullness.
May the hearts and desires of all peoples
be turned to you, through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord.

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

We continue to try to understand and immerse ourselves in meditative prayer, as described earlier. I realize this distinct way of praying is foreign to most of us, but we are moving toward better discernment of God’s will, and times like this will be important to that process. Revelations do sometimes come to us in a flash, but I also think meditative prayer is like preparing soil for seed. We don’t always associate the early work with the later fruit, but we’re far more likely to get results when we’ve made the ground as fertile as possible.

May your dreams reflect God’s reality.

Thursday, Sept. 15

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Thursday, Sept. 15.

Morning

I want to introduce you to the idea of using a prayer book through the day. Some of you will prefer to pray extemporaneously within the patterns I have been showing you thus far, but others ultimately will enjoy having a prayer book in front of you.

This morning prayer is from a little prayer book I found in a used book store about 12 years ago:

Gracious God, heavenly Father, I thank You for Your mercy, which has kept me from all harm and danger through the darkness of the night. Erase the darkness of sin from my life by Your forgiveness, for Jesus my Savior’s sake. Let me begin my duties today with the assurance that You will look with favor on my work. Bless whatever I do that my wages may be enough for my needs and the wants of those whom You have committed to my care. Teach me to give cheerfully of my earnings to support Your church and to help the poor and needy. Help me to remember today the admonition of my Savior: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” In that spirit let me begin my tasks. Amen. (“My Prayer Book,” Concordia Publishing House, 1957.)

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Psalm 113; Exodus 23:1-9; Romans 3:1-8.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Also, here’s a midday prayer from “A Celtic Primer,” a compilation by Brendan O’Malley:

Father, at noontime on this day
hallowed by the Resurrection of your Son,
we give you thanks for your presence among us.
Yours is the earth and its fullness.
May the hearts and desires of all peoples
be turned to you, through Jesus, the Christ, our Lord.

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

For me, evening prayer is often the most difficult. I find myself tired and unfocused if it’s really late. If you have similar problems, try moving your “night” prayer time up a little earlier, perhaps to coincide with sunset.

I hope you continue with the meditative prayer techniques taught earlier. Again, if you’re struggling, you can start a conversation with others about this in the comments section, or you can contact me directly at cwgriffiniii@gmail.com.

When your evening finally draws to a close, I pray you rest well.

Wednesday, Sept. 14

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Morning

By now, you’ve probably developed a clear sense that we begin by approaching God with reverence and praise. God is holy! See if you can achieve this attitude in prayer using your own words or mental images today. Because God is holy, we confess where we have not been holy in thought or deed, an act that allows us to draw nearer to our creator.

As we move into our petitions, let’s return to the pattern where we begin with global concerns and work our way closer to home, considering the needs of our nation, our community, our church, our family, and finally, ourselves.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Job 40:6-14 and 42:1-6; in the New Testament, Luke 22:31-33 and 22:54-62. If you’re a note taker, you might want to jot down the lessons about God’s character and human character to be found in these words.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly, contemplating each line.

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

I hope you continue with the meditative prayer techniques taught earlier. As you close out your daily prayer journey, you might want to record some of your impressions on paper, or perhaps with a voice recorder. These impressions may be images, feelings or words that came to you. What you record may begin to guide you at other times as you connect the prayer experience to daily life.

May you dream the dreams of saints secure in their faith.

Tuesday, Sept. 13

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Morning

Let’s use another psalm, Psalm 40, to open our prayer time with praise. Slowly continue with the pattern of surrender and confession we have been learning; simply talk to God as you do so. Are you finding that regular confession brings you healing? That realization should be a cause for thanksgiving.

“Lord, your grace is abundant and astonishing. Thank you for the freedom I have from sin, a freedom I realize more and more as I pray and confess to you! Amen.”

As we lift up our petitions, let’s again sit quietly and pray for people in need as they come to mind. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Jonah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 3:8-13. In the Jonah text, pay particular attention to the great lengths the people of Nineveh go to repent of sin. If you have time, you might want to read the whole story of Jonah. It’s best appreciated as a full story.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. And let’s again offer the following prayer written for the middle of the day:

“Where I have raced away from you this day, Lord, I pray that I may pause now and return to your path. Greet me, guide me, and keep me filled with a sense of your love as I encounter others. Amen.”

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

I hope you continue with the meditative prayer techniques taught earlier. As you close out your daily prayer journey, you might want to record some of your impressions on paper, or perhaps with a voice recorder. These impressions may be images, feelings or words that came to you. What you record may begin to guide you at other times as you connect the prayer experience to daily life.

And of course, sleep well.

Monday, Sept. 12

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Monday, Sept. 12.

Morning

For our opening time of praise, read Psalm 73 as a prayer. I have no doubt many of you will feel a connection. This psalm expresses frustration, confession and an expression of reliance on God. These are ancient words, but speak them from your heart, as your individual prayer.

You also may have some specific sins you want to turn over to God, in the process turning over a new leaf. (I like that phrase. It’s actually a reference to turning the page of a book. Certainly, as we flip through a Bible, we find new ways of living.) Hear the good news: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Having praised God and confessed sin, move to any petitions you may have. This morning, try sitting quietly and pray for people in need as they come to mind. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Jeremiah 5:1-17; 1 Timothy 1:18-20.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let me also offer you a prayer specifically for the middle of the day:

“Where I have raced away from you this day, Lord, I pray that I may pause now and return to your path. Greet me, guide me, and keep me filled with a sense of your love as I encounter others. Amen.”

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

I hope you continue with the meditative prayer, a time for immersion in God’s Spirit. Remember to let distractions float away for a little while as you breathe. Once settled in, I would suggest you add something. Ask that God speak to you in words and images as you sink into silence. Dare we call these visions? Dare we let them shape our lives?

Sleep well; perhaps visions can become dreams tonight.

Sunday, Sept. 11

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Sunday, Sept. 11.

Today being Sunday, we will deviate from our pattern. Focus today on worshiping with others! If you engage earnestly in worship, you will experience all the elements of prayer we have explored so far.

In our minds, our hearts, and certainly in our prayers, we have to acknowledge what this date means to us. We are now 21 years from what for many of us was the most traumatic national event we can remember. At some point today, remember the 2,997 who died, some as they heroically tried to save others. Remember those who died later from the exposure and trauma. And certainly take time to lift up words of thanks for those who died or were injured in the ensuing wars, and their families.

As you head to worship, engage early. Start preparing yourself to encounter God in worship as you leave the house. Approach the place of worship prayerfully and joyfully, rejoicing in the sight of your fellow believers. And as you worship, remember throughout who your audience is:

God.

Saturday, Sept. 10

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Saturday, Sept. 10.

Morning

Once again, it’s Saturday, and if you have a traditional work schedule with weekends off, you treasure a day like today. Begin by enjoying it with God, remaining aware of God’s presence throughout the day. We will keep it simple this morning. Take a few minutes to consider what it means to call God Father, Son or Holy Spirit. In what ways have you best experienced God? Thank God for those experiences.

Take time for confession. Then move to any petitions you may have.

Here’s the Scripture for today: Psalm 14; Jeremiah 4:13-21, 29-31; John 10:11-21.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer, and then give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

As you review your day, pay attention to how conscious you were of God’s presence.

Continue the meditative prayer time in the evening. At a minimum, practice symbolically inhaling grace and exhaling sin.

Sleep well; remember, tomorrow is a holy day of worship.

Friday, Sept. 9

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Friday, Sept. 9.

Morning

For our time of praise, pause to consider the many names ascribed to God, and why we use those names. Here are some examples from Scripture: I Am; Lord Over All; The Lord My Shepherd; The Lord Our Healer; The Lord Our Banner; The Most High God; God Everlasting; God Almighty; The Ancient of Days; Lion of Judah; Horn of Salvation; The Vine; The Word.

We’ve been reminded the past few days that confession is an important part of prayer. Take time to release to God what needs to be removed from your life, and allow the Holy Spirit to rush into the void created. Again, you may want to use Psalm 51:1-10 as your guide. Hear the good news: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Having praised God and confessed sin, move to any petitions you may have. Try moving from broad global concerns to very personal requests, along these lines: from global, to national, to local, to church, to family and finally, to petitions for yourself.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Genesis 7:6-10, 8:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-10.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let me also offer you a prayer specifically for the middle of the day:

“Lord of All Our Days, keep me connected to your desires for the world around me as I proceed with the tasks before me. I feel I have much to accomplish, but do not let my plans interfere with yours. If I feel sidetracked by what otherwise seems holy, help me to understand that I have found the true path. Amen.”

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

As you review your day, pay attention to how conscious you were of God’s presence.

Continue the meditative prayer time in the evening. At a minimum, practice symbolically inhaling grace and exhaling sin.

Sleep well; dream of full union with God and the reunions that will accompany that glorious day.

Thursday, Sept. 8

~ Chuck Griffin ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the daily prayer guide for the month of September! Today is Thursday, Sept. 8.

Morning

For our time of praise, let’s consider words from another hymn: “All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, ye ransomed from the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all. Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all.” (Edward Perronet, 1779.)

Like yesterday, take time to consider where you have failed God, and make confession, which of course includes repentance, a commitment to turn away from sin. As part of this act of confession, you can read or recite Psalm 51:1-10. Then hear the good news: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

Having praised God and confessed sin, move to any petitions you may have. Try moving from broad global concerns to very personal requests, along these lines: from global (the war in Ukraine, for example), to national, to local, to church, to family and finally, to petitions for yourself. You may find that when you start with broader petitions, your personal petitions will be affected.

Take time to read these Bible verses in a contemplative and meaningful way: Genesis 6:1-6; 1 Timothy 1:1-11.

Give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Noon

Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let me also offer you these words from “A Celtic Primer,” a compilation by Brendan O’Malley:

The Holy Spirit

“When the true shepherd speaks, and man hears him, the heart burns within, the flesh trembles, the mind lights like a candle, the conscience ferments like wine in a crock, and the will bows to the truth, and that small, powerful, heavenly voice raises up the dead from his own grave to live, to don the crown, and wonderfully changes the whole of life to live like the Lamb of God.”

Again, give yourself a few minutes of silence before resuming your day.

Night

As you review your day, pay attention to how conscious you were of God’s presence.

Continue the meditative prayer time in the evening. If you’re struggling with meditative prayer as described in previous days, instead focus more deeply on your reflection about the day. A pad and pen might help; you could list “pros” and “cons” about earlier events, seeking God’s guidance regarding what you might have changed. As you exhale, release sin, and as you inhale, accept grace.

Sleep well.