Presence

My soul longs for Your presence, Lord. When I turn my thoughts to You, I find peace and contentment.

Freedom

Dear Lord, instil in my heart
the desire to know and love You more.
May I respond to Your will for my life.

Consciousness

Lord, You gave me the night to rest in sleep.
In my waking hours may I not forget Your goodness to me.
Guide me to share Your blessings with others.

The Word of God

¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ²In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴And you know the way to the place where I am going.” ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Inspiration

When Jesus tells us that he is going to prepare a place for us, I understand this as he is going to prepare us for a place. Together with his Father, he is always at work in us. At the end of our life, Jesus says he will come to take us home because the one who loves wants the beloved to be with them. In the meantime, we strive to come to know and love this Friend we will have for all eternity.

Conversation

I begin to talk to Jesus about the piece of scripture I have just read.
What part of it strikes a chord in me?
Perhaps the words of a friend, or some story I have heard recently, or some experience,
will slowly rise to the surface of my consciousness.
If so, does this memory throw light on what the scripture passage may be trying to say to me?

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