With my recent homestay problems, my morning devotional today was especially poignant. It really hit home. I can't think of a better way to say it than verbatim. Today's devotional comes from "The one year daily grind," by Sarah Arthur.
It's curious to me that in the English language the act of attending to somthing or someone outside of ourselves is difficult to express without using the metaphor of personal sacrifice: we give attention, we pay attention. In other words, to focus on anything other than our own little lives costs us.
Prayer, as the authors of The Spiritual Life wrote, is a "disciplined dedication to paying attention." It, too, requires sacrifice. It costs us our selfish inner ramblings; it requires us to concentrate on someone outside of ourselves - often many someones, if we include intercessory prayer in the equation. In fact, all aspects of prayer require us to pay the price of attention. For example:
It's curious to me that in the English language the act of attending to somthing or someone outside of ourselves is difficult to express without using the metaphor of personal sacrifice: we give attention, we pay attention. In other words, to focus on anything other than our own little lives costs us.
Prayer, as the authors of The Spiritual Life wrote, is a "disciplined dedication to paying attention." It, too, requires sacrifice. It costs us our selfish inner ramblings; it requires us to concentrate on someone outside of ourselves - often many someones, if we include intercessory prayer in the equation. In fact, all aspects of prayer require us to pay the price of attention. For example:
- In praise and adoration we take our obsessive thoughts off of ourselves, for once, and pay attention to the amazing attributes of our loving heavenly Father.
- In confession we put the spotlight on those things we'd rather not pay attention to: we know we're expected to give them up.
- In thanksgiving we take our attention off of all the things we don't have or the things that have gone wrong, and instead we pay attention to the details - itemized one by one - of all that God has given us.
- In supplication we let go of our frantic anxieties, our petty problems, our secret sins and obsessions, and deliberately, intentionally place them at the feet of Christ. Then we no longer give them our attention. We let God attend to them. And as we fix our eyes on Him, we learn what it is He wants us to do with those things, one at a time.
- In intercession we fix our attention on the other peopl ein our lives who need healing, forgiveness, grace, or mercy, or to feel the love and presence of God.
Psalm 119:65-80
65 Do good to your servant
according to your word, LORD.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
according to your word, LORD.
66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I obey your word.
68 You are good, and what you do is good;
teach me your decrees.
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
י Yodh
73 Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
give me understanding to learn your commands.
74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
79 May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
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