Presence

Let my heart rejoice and be glad
in this time of prayer.
Remind me often of the great
blessings You have bestowed on me, oh my God.

Freedom

Lord, I ask for the grace to know
that doing Your will is a joy
because Your will is my deepest desire
and You are always willing what is best for me.

Consciousness

Where do I sense hope, encouragement, and growth areas in my life? By looking back over the last few months, I may be able to see which activities and occasions have produced rich fruit. If I do notice such areas, I will determine to give those areas both time and space in the future.

The Word of God

¹⁴Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵And Jesus said to them, “The wedding attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Inspiration

New skins for the new wine of the kingdom of God. There is a time for everything under heaven, a time to be joyful, a time to mourn, a time to fast, and a time to refrain from fasting. Fasting can not only be helpful to our bodies but it can train us to be more disciplined in how we live our Christian lives. As we read in the Book of Wisdom, ‘The first step on the road to wisdom is a love of discipline.’ We pray for the grace to make a decision for God and for the courage to be faithful to it.

Conversation

“Stay and watch with me.”
These were Your words, Lord, to the disciples,
before Your suffering and death.
I know, Lord, You will stay and watch over me
all the days of my life.

Conclusion

Filled with the loving presence of God,
I ask Him to bless me and guide my steps
as I go to do His work in my daily life.

Amen