This UMC website article about finding more time to pray has some great ideas.

There is plenty of content when seeking new ways to pray:

• the CP Prayers section has loads of ideas mined from various sources
• many mainline churches have wonderful online resources. The United Methodist Church online resources are HERE.

POSSIBLE ACTIONS: Perhaps today you add a daily calendar item that says “Pray,” find a prayer group that meets in your community, say a breath prayer every hour, click on one of the resources above or ???

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 3, 2019:

• Jeremiah 1:4-10
• Psalm 71:1-6
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
• Luke 4:21-30

In her book Help, Thanks, Wow, Anne Lamott describes three essential prayers. Listening to our next Singing Sister song – Ten Lepers – reminds me of Anne’s book.

How often do we make the Help prayer and then never remember to utter the Thanks prayer at a later time after receiving some conclusion to the Help situation? Thinking of the Ten Lepers story, maybe one in ten? Maybe less?

POTENTIAL ACTIONS: Let it be our goal today to have

• one “HELP” moment with God:
• one THANKS moment with God:
• one WOW moment with God:

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 27, 2019:

• Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
• Psalm 19
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
• Luke 4:14-21

Psalm 62 provides a good “road map” as we journey through challenges:

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah   ~ Psalm 62:5-8    

POTENTIAL ACTIONS: Stories of healing and peace are prevalent in the Bible. Christian Playbook has taken some key ones and placed them HERE in an audio form. Should you be so motivated…

• listen to some portion of this audio
• if you like this page of recordings, prayerfully consider whether someone you know might appreciate receiving this and forward it along…

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 27, 2019:

• Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
• Psalm 19
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
• Luke 4:14-21

In his recent post “In the Valley of the Shadow, Look to the Light,” Rick Warren talks about shadow times in life. This comment caught my attention:

“So the key when you’re going through the valley of the shadow is to turn your back on the shadow and look at the light. Because as long as you keep your eyes on the light—Jesus, the light of the world—the shadow won’t scare you.” ~ Rick Warren

Reminds me of the “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” song, (HERE is a version by Alan Jackson complete with some nice shadow/sun pictures)

When you find yourself amidst the shadows, look for that light source. It might be the sun shining above (in the photo above,) the Son shining through scripture or ??? 

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 27, 2019:

• Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
• Psalm 19
• 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
• Luke 4:14-21

The next of our Singing Sister Songs is “The Wedding Banquet” (listen HERE.) The song contrasts a playfulness of the tune (and performance) with the message, would you agree?

The chorus includes the line

Pray hold me excused, I cannot come

Let us all be prepared to attend the great and glorious banquet, energized by the Spirit for just that set of unique, individual activities…

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 20, 2019:

• Isaiah 62:1-5
• Psalm 36:5-10
• 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
• John 2:1-11

The “A Prayer for a Leader” (HERE) UCC devotional from 2017 spurs nice reminders from Psalm 72 regarding justice, compassion and peace. May those characteristics emanate from all our leaders in the coming years!

This is the prayer at the end of the devotional:

God of all nations, as the Psalm affirms, give our leaders—and us—your justice, your compassion for the poor, and your passion for peace. Amen.

Perhaps this is a prayer to be said today and in the days ahead?

May we all – fueled by the Spirit – seek justice, show compassion and pursue peace!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 20, 2019:

• Isaiah 62:1-5
• Psalm 36:5-10
• 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
• John 2:1-11

Musical focus for the upcoming weeks will be the “Singing Sister” – Sister Miriam Therese Winter – and the Medical Mission Sisters. They have some pretty songs from the ’60s/’70s with really good messages.

The song Come Down, Lord (listen HERE) has really good messages including:

Come Down, Lord, the World is here…Lord, You Show the Way!

When Your Word is Spoken, We Shall be Healed

May we utter the Lord’s words and show actions consistent with Jesus’ ways!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 13, 2019:

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Alive Now** previously included this article by Lynne M. Babb about fasting. There are many benefits of fasting, including freeing us to be be more mindful of those on our prayer lists (and those without food, for instance, when we’re doing a food fast.) Lynne mentions

“In the past few decades, with the rise of consumerism and overabundance in so many areas of life, Christians have been experimenting with fasting from things other than food: shopping, news media, various forms of entertainment, as well as electronic devices.”

ACTIONS: Maybe during this first month of the year you’ll want to try

• a traditional fasting from food for the day?
• a one-day fast from shopping, news media, a favorite electronic device?

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

** Alive Now was a favorite devotional. While no longer publishing new Alive Now editions, we hope Upper Room will continue to keep that content on the internet (as they have with this article!)

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 13, 2019:

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

This explanation of Epiphany (link HERE) provides good context for our Christmastide and beyond, including these compelling sentences:

“But the joy of Christmas isn’t over yet because we can choose to recognize the mercy of God in the everyday stuff. With open hearts and expectant outlooks, believers can have epiphany moments any day.”

 

On this 2019 Epiphany and future days,

may we find “aha” moments to energize our ways!

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 6, 2019:

• Isaiah 60:1-6
• Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
• Ephesians 3:1-12
• Matthew 2:1-12

MWPC’s Pastor Debbie mentioned this poem (internet link HERE) in a recent weekly email. It’s a nice reminder that after Christmas “The work of Christmas begins.”

POTENTIAL ACTION:  The poem above includes several suggestions for actions. Does one resonate that can be added to your 2019 resolutions? 🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, January 6, 2019:

• Isaiah 60:1-6
• Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
• Ephesians 3:1-12
• Matthew 2:1-12