Read 1 Chronicles 16:28-34, Nehemiah 9:6, and Psalm 104.
In a time when our airwaves and personal streams of consciousness are filled and interrupted with emails, calendar reminders, texts, social media notifications, newsfeeds, meetings, and an assortment of physical and digital attention grabbers, making time to focus on God may not always appear to be a priority on our daily agendas. Paul wrote that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come," and of living a godly life with faith in Jesus Christ, Paul advised: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (1 Timothy 4:8-15). How much time are you taking to focus on God's mercy and glory in your life?
Often, we come to God in prayer, seeking help with immediate needs, desires, and worries that we have. However, Jesus said, "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (Matthew 6:8), and Paul wrote, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). The truth is that God knows what we need and provides what we need. In addition to supplication, Prayer can also be an act of worship, an acknowledgement of God's powerful grace and mercy in our lives. What if we spent more time in prayer and more of our prayer time in meditating on the joy and blessings that God brings to our lives?
The Holy Spirit of God is with us always, but let's take time to unplug from the natural distractions of life and seek Him in prayer. Like Moses, let's go up to the mountain to meet God so that He can reveal Himself to us and so that we can begin to understand with more clarity the change taking place in us and the blessings He is pouring into our lives. In Psalm 104:34, David wrote, "My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."
Do you take time to meditate on God, reveling in the sweetness of his glory? Imagine how your spiritual and natural life might change if you spent more time this way. Imagine how much greater of an effect God may prepare you to have on others if your prayerlife was more centered in this way.
PRAYER: Merciful heavenly father, thank you for providing for our every need in this life. Thank you for having mercy on us, providing a path to redemption and salvation for believers in Christ. Thank you for continually providing strength for us to overcome the obstacles of this world. Please forgive us for times that we fail to make efforts to recognize the effects of your grace and glorious works in our lives. We honor you and seek the joy and peace that faith in your son brings to us. We serve you, praise you, and ask for these blessings in Christ's name. Amen.
