The Power of a Guiding Thought and a Grounding Prayer!
There are many ways to unleash the power of the Bible in your life. I want to focus on one of those ways - to have one or more special verses that you repeat to yourself over and over until it becomes a part of you. I like to call this a guiding thought. What better source could there be than the Bible! A guiding thought can shape your life - give it special meaning and purpose. It can be an anchor in the storms of life and a source of strength. It can also be a light and motivation when facing difficult decisions or challenging situations. For example, the late Supreme Court Justice “RBG” had a quote from the beginning of Deuteronomy 16:20 as a wall hanging in her office to remind her of her calling. The message of this text says “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue”. (Other translations might be slightly different, but the message is the same – making justice the heart of the matter).
The idea of a guiding thought is rooted in the awareness that what we say to ourselves and the messages we repeat over and over have a powerful impact on the way we live and the quality of the lives we live. No one is ever too old or too young to do this. But clearly the sooner we incorporate this into our daily lives the more positive impact it can have. The unfortunate reality is too many have a “wealth” of negative, destructive thoughts that shape their lives far too much.
My guiding thought is found in the 12th chapter of Mark’s gospel when Jesus is asked what the first commandment of all is and he responds with “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
I usually shorten it to “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Another one of mine is from John 10: “I have come that you may have life in all its abundance”.
Yet another is from the 8th chapter of Romans, “If God is for us who can be against us…there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
These are just some of the passages that speak to my heart and I choose to make guiding thoughts. What matters is that you find one that illuminates your heart and make it a guiding thought. Here are a few you might consider from the Old Testament: Joshua 1:9; Joshua 24, 14-15; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 43:1; Micah 6:8; Psalm 46:1-2; Psalm 46:10; and Habakkuk 3:17-18. And then there is the New Testament – a source of many treasures. I invite you to find yours.
A Grounding Prayer is also important. This is a prayer you repeat at least 3 times each day – morning, noon and night. More is even better. It works just like a guiding thought. My recommendation is the Prayer of St. Francis which you can find below. I invite you to join me for the remainder of 2020 to pray this prayer at least 3 times each and every day. Let’s see what happens!
Grace and Peace, John
Our Church Sign Has a New Look!
We replaced the old, discolored Lexan plastic which made it very difficult to read our messages with new, clear plexiglass. Wow! What a difference this makes. One of the things we want all who pass to be able to see is our website and the invitation to our virtual service. Now they can! A special thanks to Jeff Bryden for his help and practical ideas.
I Invite You to Make This Prayer A Daily Habit
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is error, truth; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.