A Prayerful Lent

There are so many reasons why we don't pray; I'm too busy, too tired, too distracted, too ... the list goes on. Prayer is our communication with God, so why would we ignore it? Whatever our reasons, Lent is a good time to make a fresh start.
I am encouraging you to take on the 40 Days of Prayer Challenge. It is a commitment to pray each day during Lent. I'm not stipulating what type of prayer or how long you pray each day, I am just challenging you to pray. Talk to God!

I read the following meditation on prayer and share a portion of it with you.

The Journey Begins
There are so many lessons for our journey in prayer.It starts with God's inspiration.
We are reminded of the breath of life that God breathed at the beginning of creation and the driving wind of the Holy Spirit's coming at Pentecost. The grace for all we are about to do comes from God. Today we pray to be open to it.
Today we also acknowledge that for us to what we need to do these six weeks, we need God's continuing help. Each day, with every prayer, every sacrifice, every act of generosity we will need help which can only come from God. And, finally, we need God's guidance to persevere to the end. There will be tough choices, not only between good and evil, but choices about what is the greater good.
From www.creighton.edu

The Book of Common Prayer is a great place to start if you don't know where to begin. This is a Canticle from the Morning Prayer service... just one of hundreds of prayers. This Canticle also speaks to our praying:

The Second Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6 11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Consider joining me on this prayer journey. Keep a prayer journal, pray for a specific thing each day, come to Morning Prayer at 8 am, and join us for the Lenten series on the Lord's Prayer. Each Monday I will put a new post on the blog with resources, prayers and encouragement. I also encourage you to add your own comments to each post; how is going, things you have discovered in prayer, whatever you like! I will be praying for you!

Jim+