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 the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt. 5:5) O Lord, I am lowly and humble. You alone are my inheritance. Amen.
Word: Matthew 6:22-23
The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.
Meditation
Your eyelids open to gather light. Light and color enters the pupil and images travel across your ocular nerve to your brain. Your mind and heart digest what you see and then direct your body to respond. Lips and tongue, fingers and feet all respond to what the eye first sees.
Jesus’ point is about focus. Whatever your eye is focused on will find its way into your mind, your heart, and your whole body. Wherever you focus your vision, your body follows. So what is your eye focused on? What is the focus of your attention?
In the hymn Abide with Me we sing:
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me
Abide with me, abide with me
Hold his cross before your eyes. Fix your eyes upon Christ and what he has done for you. Then you will know what to do for him and for others. Your whole life will respond accordingly when your eyes are attentive to him.
Prayer for Family
· For my immediate family (parents, spouse, siblings).
· For extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents)
· For close friends that are as family to me.
· For those who don’t have families, or whose families are broken.
· For forgiveness and reconciliation where there is division in my family.
· For provision where there is need in my family.
· For God to be the foundation, and the cross the center of my family.
· For a generation yet unborn, future members of our family.
Closing Prayer
Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, illuminate my heart. Give me vision to see you and your will. In fog and mist, reveal your gracious presence. I fix my eyes on you, Amen.