Presence

Lord, God, my Creator,
Be close to me now.
My soul yearns for Your presence.

Freedom

Lord God, I thank you for the gift of freedom.
Help me to use this gift with integrity.
I am free to make choices.
Help me to choose to follow You,
to live in a Christian way by caring for others.
Remind me to consider always those less fortunate than myself:
the oppressed, the prisoner, those who are not free to worship in public.
Guide me always to seek Your holy will in all the events of my life.

Consciousness

Conscious of Your presence, Lord,
I look over my recent past.
Let me be honest with myself about how I’ve been
and what I’ve done,
because I know You love truth in the heart
and accept me just as I am.

The Word of God

³⁵As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him, and when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me see again.” ⁴²Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” ⁴³Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God, and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Inspiration

Lord, there are times when we lose our vision and are blinded by passing things; please give us the healing to return our focus to you when we have lost it.

The blind man inquired and discovered Jesus was passing by and shouted out. Some ordered him to be quiet. Lord, your desire met that of the blind man. May you transform our desires and lead us to give praise to you for all you have done for us.

Conversation

“There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:1). I turn to the One who loves me and knows me better than I can love or know myself. I ask Him for whatever it is I need right now.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen