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A journey through Lent - 2016
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Day Twenty Two - The Waters.
This passage from Isaiah is a plea to the people to return to their God the true fountain of life.
It is a call to come without any restrictions and to drink as deeply as they need.
It is a calling to listen to the word of God, to really listen to it, explore it, delight in it, to give it undivided attention in a way they had never done before.
The call is to hear the word sent to save them, the word that would change them and make them a blessing to the world.
We of course know that they refuse to hear him.
During this period of Lent we have a time when during our reflections we take the time to admit that we too are often not listening to God's word to us.
We neglect our prayers, our reading and studying of the bible and our times of worship.
We don't listen and explore, expecting to find delight in it. Our attention is easily distracted from it by the world around us.
This time of Lent is a space where we can once again see Jesus and his invitation to return and drink deeply from his streams of living water.
We take the time to know again that we need never have to thirst for God's word again or fear that God will remove his covenant of that stream of eternal life, which pours from him, into our lives.
Bible Passage: - Isaiah 55:1-7 (NIV)
'Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labour on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendour.'
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Contemplation Saying.
"Give ear and come to me"
Contemplative Prayer.
Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,
Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,
Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.
Listen for God's voice in the quiet of your prayers.
Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.
Hymn: Singing the Faith 350 - "I cannot tell why he who angels worship"
Let us pray together.
Twitter Prayer
Refresh us and inspire us as we lift our hearts, minds and souls into Your Holy presence. Amen
Facebook Prayer
We come before you Lord, seeking refreshing. Not the refreshing that the world offers but refreshing that comes from You.
We spend so much of our time chasing shadows that do not bring us fulfilment.
Help us, today, to discover all you have to give to us. Help us to seek you in joy and enthusiasm.
Refresh us and inspire us as we lift our hearts, minds and souls into Your Holy presence. Amen
Full Prayer
Lord, you call to us. Help us to hear your voice and hearing it return to you.
We pray that as we study your scriptures, as we lift our prayers, that you will show us the wonders of your Holy Word.
That was we read and study we will see your glory revealed in that word.
Lord, we want to delight in you. To listen and hear your voice in the storms of our lives.
We do this in expectation of being enthused, invigorated and inspired for we are truly yours.
We pray that your water of life will wash over our souls in Jesus' name, Amen.
We come before you Lord, seeking refreshing.
Not the refreshing that the world offers but refreshing that comes from You.
We spend so much of our time chasing shadows that do not bring us fulfilment.
Help us, today, to discover all you have to give to us.
Help us to seek you in joy and enthusiasm.
Refresh us and inspire us as we lift our hearts, minds and souls into Your Holy presence. Amen
This is a song I wrote over ten years ago. It seems appropriate for today.
Listen can you hear God speaking
Can you hear His words flowing in your mind
Listen can you hear God speaking
Can you spare the time to hear His word
I have work for you to do
Is what he says to me
For my hands on earth are your hands
So do what I ask of you.
Listen can you hear God speaking
Can you hear His words flowing in your mind
Listen can you hear God speaking
Can you spare the time to hear His word
Listen
God is speaking
Listen
Hear His word
Hear His word