Tag Archives: Prayer and Meditation

The Choice

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I’m messed up.

You are too.

We have weaknesses

Secrets

Scars

Fears

Blind spots.

God is aware.

He accepts us

in the middle of all our mess.

He knows us better than we know ourselves.

And He loves us more than we can comprehend,

So much so that He sacrificed dearly

so that He could lead us out of our confusion,

and into freedom and joy.

When we come to Him we are needy.

We’ve realized we can’t free ourselves from our dark tangle.

With one word, one costly Word, He erases all of our past wrongs.

even though we may repeat them (or already have).

He releases us

And then He reaches out to step alongside Him.

Will we accept His strength, His love?

Or will we turn away,

shutting our ears to our shouting need?

It isn’t easy to follow His way.

It takes hard work, persistence, perseverance

to shed the shackles that have long imprisoned us.

But we are not alone. And we are not on our own.

We do this together with Him.

Guided by Him.

Empowered by Him.

And the joy, the joy eclipses the pain.

The joy of belonging. Of being wanted, treasured.

Of understanding that we have a purpose. And make a difference.

The joy of knowing, to the depth of our souls

that we are loved–loved as we have always longed to be.

That joy is worth everything.

Where are you?

Are you just starting out?

Are you stuck in a pit of your own making?

Have you lost your way?

Right now, wherever you are,

God is there.

He knows

everything.

His eyes shine with a penetrating love that almost lifts you off your feet.

His hand reaches out to yours.

He’s made His choice.

What will yours be?

Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 2: From Bitter to Better

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Yesterday I was in a bad mood. I don’t mean a “pity party” kind of bad. I mean a “don’t mess with me” kind of bad. The kind of mood where everyone just stays out of your way, because they don’t want to get their head snapped off. Do you ever have one of those days? Where you can’t find the good in anything?

Is there a way to get from bitter to better? To shift our attitude away from toxic negative thinking into a more healthy, positive frame of mind?

When you are having a bad day, if you are praying at all, think about the kinds of things you are saying to God. Why does everything have to be so hard? Why can’t things just run smoothly, the way I want them to? Why does this ___ have a driver‘s license?

We don’t really want answers. We just want to vent. To express our displeasure with God’s way of handling the world. (Implying, of course, that we could do it better.)

But what if, as we are racing along on this runaway train of sourpuss-ness, we decide to do something different—totally unexpected.

What if we just start giving thanks?

Yeah right, Lydia. What world are you living in? What could you possibly thank God for when things are going south? What does that even look like?

I know, I know. It seems contrary to our circumstances–and our frame of mind–to say “thank you.” But just try eking out one little prayer of thanksgiving. Something like (don’t laugh), “thank you, God, that I am not always in such a bad mood.” Or like my husband Andrew likes to say, “thank you that I am not in a prison in southeast Asia.” Come on. Admit it. Doesn’t that make you smile just a little bit?

OK, maybe a little.

OK now that you’ve broken the ice, what other things can you thank God for on this no-good-very-bad day?

Thank You, God…

–that this won’t last forever.
–that You are at work, even when I can’t see it.
–that You love me and are with me, no matter what kind of mood I am in. I am not alone.
–that You know what’s going on and will give me strength and wisdom and perspective.
–that You are making good things come from this situation.
–that even when I don’t have the big picture, I can trust that You do, and that You will guide me day by day in how to walk through this.

Getting from bitter to better

Thanking God in the middle of our mess shifts our focus away from our circumstances, and back toward God’s goodness. It reminds us of our love of God, and His for us. It restores our joy in the present. And it gives us peace in the middle of the storm.

Gratitude doesn’t alter our situation; it transforms our attitude. It takes us from bitter to better.

Click below to read other posts in this series on “Complaining and Contentment:”

Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 1: Complaining

Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 3: Dodge the Urge

Complaint and Contentment Series – Part 4: 10 Tips to Overcome Complaining

Beloved

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Thank You that I am Your beloved. That You love me. You treasure my company, care about every detail of my life. You want the very best for me.

Thank You for Your love.

Your love shines light into my soul. It illuminates my identity, my value, my belonging, my calling. It frees me to be completely myself and liberates me from false beliefs and destructive habits of thought and action that keep me from being fully myself, the person You created and love.

Thank you.

Your love settles me, and gives me peace and rest. It empowers me to do what I cannot do on my own. Your perfect love casts out all fear. You keep me safe.

Thank you.

You are love. You created it. Define it. Embody it. You protect me. Cherish me. Heal me. Refresh me. Lead me. Teach me to love others in my own unique way. You accompany me every minute of every day in my journey through life. Showing me more and more about what it means to be loved. And what it means to love.

Thank You. For being You. And encouraging me to be me.

Fully myself. Fully Your child.

Beloved.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

I trust in your unfailing love. Psalm 13:5

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. Zephaniah 3:17

The Key Ingredient – Planning Series, Part 4

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The Key Ingredient – Planning Series, Part 4

by Lydia Floren

Last week, we talked about the fact that everyone approaches planning a little differently. Some are Perfectionists, others Minimalists or No-Planners. And most of us are Nomadic planners – we plan differently based on which situation we are in. No matter what kind of planner you are, without prayer, your plans will not be all they could be. The best plans always include one key ingredient: prayer.

Planning without prayer is like making bread without yeast: things just don’t turn out the way you thought they would.

And, when I talk about prayerful planning, I don’t mean forming a strategy and then asking God to put His stamp of approval on it. That is like mixing bread dough, and then sprinkling yeast on the loaves right before you slide them in the oven. In order for prayer to be effective in your planning process, it must be in the mix, right from the start.

Think about it. Doesn’t it make sense to ask the Ultimate Life Coach, the One Person who knows you best and loves you most, what His perspective is? What He thinks your plans should be? Doesn’t it seem logical to give veto power to the only person in the universe that knows the future? That can help you avert disaster by aborting your plans? After all, He is the one who said:

I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.

Whether you are Perfectionist, a Nomadic, a Minimalist or a No-Plan Planner, your plan will always go better with prayer. And here is an extra bonus, the cherry on top that will absolutely revolutionize your whole planning process: after you set goals and make plans, keep on praying about those plans. Ann Ortlund, in her book Disciplines of a Beautiful Woman, said that she saw a big difference in how many of her goals and plans were realized, after she started praying about them on a regular basis.

So plan away. However it works for your life and your personality. Just remember to discuss it all with God, and keep on talking to Him. Keep bringing your plans to Him, asking for His insight and direction and wisdom in how to focus on, carry out, and even adjust, your strategy. And then take His advice.

Prayer is the key ingredient to great plans.

In fact, prayer is the best plan of all.

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Breathing In God’s Presence

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Breathing In God’s Presence: Breathe Series, Part 2

by Lydia Floren

I eat fast. Too fast. I’ve mentioned this before . When I eat quickly, I do so for one reason: so that I will no longer feel hungry. I get that. But in order to “experience” a meal (as I think most foodies must do) I’ve learned it is important to slow down. When I do, I can appreciate the tastes that cross my palate, the combination of flavors and textures. And eating slowly gives me the opportunity to enjoy my dinner companions. I have found that when I “dine” like this, the whole experience – delicious and delightful – becomes imprinted in my memory. So, whenever I think about it, it brings a smile to my face.

That is what meditating on God’s word is.

Meditating?

I know, I know. I’m just like you. When I think of meditation, I envision eyes closed, legs crossed, elbows on knees, fingers touching, humming to new-age music. But Christian meditation is far different. It is not emptying the mind but filling it with the truth – and the Presence – of the One God.

When we focus on one or two verses, or even one or two words from the Bible we are able savor the truth offered to us. For example, a few years ago my friend Debra was going through a very difficult time. She told me later that these nine words were her lifeline: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

Here are links to some other examples of meditation:

Meditation

Polishing

Christian meditation involves spending some time in solitude and silence, thinking about just a few verses, or part of one verse. When we do this, we experience God’s presence and taste His fruit. And that experience lingers in our memory. Every time it comes to mind, it lifts our hearts and makes us smile.

So take time every day to partake of the rich meal God has set before you. Take a bite, and then another. Relish the food and the conversation. Enjoy the company of The Most Amazing Person in the Universe, the one who knows you best and loves you most.

“My cup overflows.” Psalm 23

Father, Thank You

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by Lydia Floren

The following prayer is on the first page of my thanksgiving journal. It blesses me, and I thought it might bless you too.

Father, Thank You…

You give me identity. You made me and gifted me with all the wonderful qualities I possess. You have helped me see them and explore them. To understand them better. To cement them into a better understanding of who I am.

You give me belonging. My place to belong. With no judgment or condemnation. Just acceptance, love, arms open wide. This place/home is

– with You. Every day. Where I am, there You are as well. And where You lead me to be is where I belong at the moment. And I am safe wherever that is.

– with other true believers, including those who have gone before, (like Nouwen, C.S. Lewis, Solzhenitsyn, St. Francis, Brother Lawrence, Hannah Whitehall Smith), and those in the Bible. And those in my life right now.

– And in eternity, my forever home.

And because of this true place that I belong, I can be content in the place that I am, wherever You have led me to be that day.

You give me immeasurable value, an innate sense of true worth that has nothing to do with any accomplishment. Just with the reality of who I am – my inherent and unique spirit. You didn’t come to save me for my usefulness, but simply because I am important to you. I was worth coming for and dying for, simply for the joy of my company with You forever.

You give me a sense of significance. A unique place of service and influence in this world. You invite me into the world every day to love people, and to serve them and minister to them. To be a part of what You are doing to redeem the world, and to restore it. In Your power. By Your direction. With Your wisdom and discernment. And because it is in Your power, and by Your direction, I don’t need to fret about the details. I can just trust the process and the plan I have prayed thru with You, knowing that You will adjust and redirect me when needed.

You give me safety and provision. Protection. Safe passage wherever You lead me in life. And the understanding that You will provide everything that I need, including contentment in whatever circumstance I find myself. And the ability to face pain and walk through it. And You give me the security of knowing that You will come find me if I wander off the path, and will lead me back in the direction I need to go.

You give me guidance, and fellowship/company along the path You have set out for me, every day practical guidance in healing, in ministry, in growth, in self-care, in tending what I have been given. Even guidance in how to plan, to strategize. Guidance in the spontaneous. Guidance in how You want to work thru me to bless others.

You give me Yourself. The greatest and best gift, and the most enduring one. The ongoing joy of knowing that I am continually in Your presence/company. Continually loved/cherished. Continually wanted, and included. Continually protected. Continually supplied with everything that I need. Continually being healed, renewed, empowered, challenged, encouraged.

Father, thank You for the joy of knowing that I can trust You with my whole heart and my whole life.

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. John 16:8

Right Now

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Right Now

by Lydia Floren

For some time, I have been focusing on learning to receive the love of God. I am convinced that in order to obey what Jesus said was the most important commandment—to love God, and love my neighbor as myself—I must first receive God’s love for me. In fact, I believe it is impossible to obey this command without first being filled up and living as one who is beloved. The question is how. How do I live in the love of God? How do I learn to embrace God’s love for me personally? How do I accept this love every day, and fill up with it? Answers to these questions have been coming to me in pieces rather than all together. Today I have been given another piece:

Have you ever been in a “mood”? A state of mind where nothing is good or right or positive about the world, the people you encounter, God, and especially yourself? I was in such a state this morning, and after lingering there for a while, this thought came to mind:

“I love you right now.”

“Now, God? Now is not a good time to be loving me. I am crabby, having a pity party, mad at the world, frustrated with myself. This is not a good time to be loving me. ”

“Now. Now is the best time to love you.”

He is right, of course, much as I don’t want to acknowledge it. There is no better time for Him to love me and for me to accept His love than right now, because it is as I am. And because now, when I know myself to be a crabby, sorry individual is when I need His love the most. Now is when His love really does the most good, has the most transforming power. But now is also the hardest time to receive His love. I am ugly and I know it. My heart is spewing forth negativity, anger, condemnation, self-righteousness, pride, selfishness, self-loathing.

And yet He calls to me:

“Come on child, climb out of the pit of your pity party—your hopelessness. Receive my transforming love. Let go of your shoulds and oughts for yourself and those around you, and just be loved. I’ve got this. And I’ve got you. You are safe, and you are free. Simply follow me in the next step, and watch me work! “

Now.

I am not hopeless. And I am not helpless. He knows me and loves me just like I am. And He wants me to live in that love.

Now.

I do have a choice. Do I accept His knowing and loving and forgiving? Do I accept His grace? His embrace? When I do, I am letting go of the lie that I can live in joy without Him. Or that I would want to. I choose to believe He is safe. His love is there always, even (and especially) when I am at my worst.

Even now.

He loved me first.

He loves me now.

We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NAS)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 NAS)

Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8a NAS)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

Overwhelming GRACE

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overwhelming GRACE

Overwhelming GRACE

by Lydia Floren

When life seems overwhelming, it is hard to wait on God. And even when we choose to be still, our minds can continue to race, robbing us of this precious time to re-energize and refocus.

Praying GRACE is an awesome way to break free of swirling thoughts, and drink in God’s peace and love.

Give thanks:

Thank you, God, that you are here. You love me, and those Iove. You know exactly what is going on. You meet me right where I am and are leading me in the next step. You are powerful and have everything under control. I am safe.

Release:

Father, you know all of these things swirling around in my head. I just leave them one by one at your feet. You are in control. I don’t need to be, and frankly, I can’t be. Thank you for helping me to see that. Forgive me when I try to take control instead of trusting you.

Accept:

Father, I accept the lighter load of following you, instead of trying to figure out everything on my own. I accept Your leadership and direction. Right now I choose to listen as you speak through your word, and your still small voice within me.

Continue:

God, I choose to continue moving forward in the way you have already led me, trusting you to make clear any changes that need to be made. Thank you that even if/when things don’t seem clear, you will open doors, close others, helping me to see plainly which way to go.

Enjoy:

Father thank you that I can just enjoy the day in front of me, knowing that You’re with me–reassuring, guiding, loving. I can enjoy each moment knowing that you’re taking care of everything, and that you have the big picture in mind.

This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Prepping for Success

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by Lydia Floren

It is always soul-enriching, being with God. Why do I wait? What could possibly give me more life than spending time in His presence? Having those moments that soak into my soul?

Nothing.

Prepping for success

How can we be prepping for success? How do we minimize distractions first thing in the morning, and optimize our chances of success, in this all important meeting with The Person Who Loves Us Most? Here are a few thoughts that have helped me:

1. Restrict my daily “To Do” list to 5 items. I only allow 5 things on my to do list every day, and #1 is “Be loved by God, and listen.“

2. Plan and Prepare the night before:

Straighten up the night before, especially the area where I have my prayer/time with God.
Make this area inviting—soothing, peaceful. Pictures, flowers, music at the ready.
Get coffee set up to go automatically.
Have my journal/Bible/materials set out.
Go to bed on time, and set my alarm.

2. Keep a running task list handy. When things I need to do, or ideas I have, start crowding my mind, I can write them down and get them out of my head.

3. Continue reviewing my priorities and goals, so other things don’t creep into my life and
rob me of the most important things.

What do you do to stay focused in your daily meeting with God? Please share! I would love to hear from you!

What Should I Do Now? Making Plans

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by Lydia Floren

Last week in “What Should I Do Next?”, I wrote about making plans. I’m not going to lie. Planning takes time and perseverance. It is hard to make myself take a chunk of time to pray through and decide what is the best way to spend my time and resources.

But tough choices aren’t just limited to making plans.

When we face dilemmas, we ask ourselves, “What should I do now?“
Many times we are faced with dilemmas in life – difficult relationships, career decisions, parenting concerns. Everything seems muddled. We can feel totally at a loss about how to respond, or which way to go. And it stresses us out. We need wisdom beyond our own understanding.

Proverbs 2 has some great insight:
“If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Prov. 2:1-5

Here’s another way to say these verses:

Steps Toward Wisdom (paraphrase of Prov. 2:1-5)

Accept and store up God’s word: make a practice of exposing yourself to the truth of God’s word and God’s presence every day. Respect it. Let it sink into your heart and spirit.
Listen: Pay attention to how God might be speaking to you in your situation. Do your best to try to understand what He is saying in your heart through His word and His presence.
ASK HIM for His perspective on your situation. Plead with Him to increase your understanding beyond what you can do on your own.
Search for God’s wisdom. Actively look for His insight. Let that be the most important thing to you, more important than the facts that you have gathered, your own conclusions, or the opinions others.

When you do these things, you will find the knowledge you seek about what your next steps should be. And you will experience just how amazing God is.

Remembering our highest priority keeps everything in perspective.
When we make our relationship with God our highest priority, He helps us put everything in perspective, and gives us wisdom beyond our own understanding.

Is your relationship with God your highest priority in life? How do your choices of how you spend your time and resources reflect that priority? What plans/steps can you make to better accept, listen, ask and search for God’s wisdom?

“And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. And I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jer. 29:12