Lenten discipline of the day:
adopt a prayer routine.
I discovered a long time ago that I am lousy at spontaneous prayer. If I am to have a rich and meaningful prayer life, I have to plan for it and make time for it, just as I make time for other things I do routinely to keep myself healthy and well -- like showering, eating, exercising, etc. So I begin each day with prayer, guided by Daily Prayer PC(USA) which provides brief services based on the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, including psalms for the day, readings from the daily lectionary, and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession. And I do it all using my iPhone -- yes, there's even an app for prayer! http://www.pcusa.org/news/2012/10/31/daily-prayer-app-here/
Paul exhorts for us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which is a worthy goal, but the first step, I think, is to just make time each day to devote to prayer, in whatever way feels authentic to you. For me, I need the liturgical structure of the Daily Prayer, although I may pray at other times of the day in many other ways. Some folks in my congregation appreciate a devotional book like Upper Room, Guideposts or These Days. The key is to find a structure that works for you and stick with it.
Another on-line resource for something similar to Daily Prayer comes from our Episcopalian brothers and sisters: http://dailyoffice.org.
I apologize for lack of posting yesterday. I have the flu and am just now beginning to come out of the fog of fever and nausea.
Paul exhorts for us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which is a worthy goal, but the first step, I think, is to just make time each day to devote to prayer, in whatever way feels authentic to you. For me, I need the liturgical structure of the Daily Prayer, although I may pray at other times of the day in many other ways. Some folks in my congregation appreciate a devotional book like Upper Room, Guideposts or These Days. The key is to find a structure that works for you and stick with it.
Another on-line resource for something similar to Daily Prayer comes from our Episcopalian brothers and sisters: http://dailyoffice.org.
I apologize for lack of posting yesterday. I have the flu and am just now beginning to come out of the fog of fever and nausea.
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