Sweet Hour of Drawing Nearer Prayer

If you have been following the last few weeks, I have been focusing on preparing for a retreat time with God.  But, a week from tonight there will be a group gathering in the third of three prayer sessions praying about breaking chains.

Prayer time is so sweet, and so important.  Yet, it seems to be so easily filled with the noise of a busy life.  I wake up and hear an alarm clock, then the sound of the door unlocking so the dog can go out.  The coffee pot makes the nice percolating dripping sound, while there are teeth brushing, hair brushing, good mornings, and getting ready for the day sounds.  The fridge opens, I grab a yogurt.  The car starts, feet on the pavement and then the sounds of work.  Phones, clicking of a keyboard, voices, and filing drawers opening and closing fill the day.  The car again, dinner sounds, TV, family, and more doggy sounds.  My day is full of noise!  Even right now, there is a dog whining (sharing her opinion) and Creole music playing in the background. 

In all of the noise, in all of the busy time, it can be easy for the still small voice of God to be lost in the shuffle.    None of the things I mentioned above are bad.  They are a product of my life, in being where God wishes me to be, in serving and ministering where I am placed.  There is also an important part which needs the balance between the noise and the quiet time.  I can tell that I have not balanced it well when I start feeling beat up by life, bruised by the pace.

When that happens, I am reminded to dig in deeper to my quiet time with God.  It doesn’t come by forcing myself into some strange new practice of prayer.  Instead, it is in the quiet time that I retreat to sit at God’s feet.  Just imagine what that would be like, to sit at the feet of Jesus.  What would his voice sound like, what emotions would stir in his eyes, and my spirit would breathe in his words and love like a breath of fresh air.  Oh, and he would exchange my bruises for his healing, my tiredness for his strength and energy.  What an amazing thing!

I am only three days away from this retreat and how appropriate to be spending time tonight in prayer, drawing near.  I look forward to the time of quiet that is coming to pulling in tighter to Jesus’ feet.  And in that time, God moves – He answers sincere prayers that seek out His will!  He Answers!! 

Alone & Retreat

Where should hope be placed?  If you could put such a precious jewel as hope or faith, trust, or love in a safe place, where would you put it?  Perhaps a gigantic safe, with thick bars and a dial of combinations that spins – would that be the place?  I’ve been in a bank vault, thick walls and thicker doors; everything in it is carefully stowed away.  Yes, a vault that is it.  No wait, a vault may be good for storing things, but it just sits there, collecting dust and stale air. 

Other spots people use to store important valuables like dresser drawers or freezers, ooohhh – those hide a rock things…. Maybe that would be the place.  Of course, things can get mixed up in clothing and hide a keys are pretty well known.  No, that won’t work either.

Well, if hiding or careful storage won’t work, perhaps the old adage is true.   Perhaps hiding in plain sight is really the trick.  Yet, if I wear my heart on my proverbial sleeve, it will only last as long as that sleeve and then need washed.  And of course, that is not a very well protected area.  Someone might use it for a handkerchief.

Where do I keep these prized valuables?  In God alone is where the perfect protecting spot is.  A safe place to leave our heart, with the perfect one where hope rests allows me to rest too.  Twelve days till the retreat.  A retreat, a rest, I will draw away from my daily routine and refocus on the hope and rest giver. 

You know, in medieval battles retreats were often the place where the majority of the soldiers were injured.  It is because they often became a route where people scrambled wildly across a field and didn’t listen to commands.  Instead of falling back in a well ordered fashion, many of the foot soldiers turned and ran. 

There are times when hope is hard to come by and God comes to us, asking us to allow the giver of hope hold it for us – in Him alone remember.  Instead of seeing how we should respond, we turn and run away, resulting in disorder and destruction.  As I prepare for a retreat, I need to make sure that I can also be prepared to hand over hope and everything else precious to me to the giver and creator of hope.  Not to retreat wildly, resulting in my own injury, but to fall back to safety and rest.