Rest is good. We’re taking a break from producing content over the summer. Enjoy this previously produced pattern and meditation.
With all the noise in the world, do you hear the voice of God? Your calendar tells you what to do, but do you remember who you are? Being comes before doing. This is a call to put first things first. Return to the Lord with this daily pattern of prayer and devotion. Set aside this time as a sanctuary. Find a space free of distraction and follow this pattern.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) O Lord, I suffer grief and loss. You alone are my comfort. Amen.
Word: Matthew 5:43-45
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Meditation
When I was growing up my grandparents lived in a small town in northern Michigan. Whenever I would visit, my grandfather would take me around with him to his work or the store or on visits with friends. I got a glimpse of who he was and how he lived. And without knowing it, I picked up some of his habits and mannerisms.
My grandfather passed away when I was eleven years old and after that we didn’t go up north as often. Many years passed, but one day I was back in that small town, now all grown up. A man stopped me on the sidewalk and said “Excuse me, but are you Jack’s grandson?” More than a decade later, something about me reminded that man of my grandfather.
In Galatians 3, the apostle Paul writes that in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. Son. Daughter. It is who you are. And as a son or daughter of the Heavenly Father, you take on his characteristics. You love your enemies. You pray for those who persecute you. You bless those who don’t deserve it. It’s who you are because it’s who your Father is.
Prayer for Life as a Child of God
· For the Father to give me care and guidance.
· For forgiveness when I wander and want my own way.
· For the Father to keep me childlike in faith even as I age.
· For growth in faith, that I love and trust in God above all things.
· For strength to obey God.
· For the Father to heal my hurts.
· For assurance when I doubt.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for adopting me as your son or daughter. Grow me to be like you. When others see me, may they see you. When others hear me, may they hear you. Keep me close to you, now and always. Amen.