We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on April 23, 2013.
Prayer: Christ Jesus, our Shepherd and Savior, give us water when we thirst, food when we hunger, and life when we face death. Thanks be to you for satisfying our needs. Amen. Reading: Psalm 139: 7 Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: Over the years, I’ve been able to do some research on prayer. I have studied different styles of prayer, how you “should” pray, and how prayer improves the spiritual well-being of each of us. A short time ago, I read a devotional book that had an interesting new twist on prayer. The author writes, "A few years back, I started beginning my prayers differently. I began saying to God, 'You go first.' Then I would quietly wait for thought to start crossing my mind. I assumed that God would bring to mind the most important things I needed to pray about. If they were positive thoughts, I would pray them back with joy. If they were negative thoughts, I would pray about them with courage and honesty." Ever since I read this, I have been intrigued. I occasionally try it and he is right; usually, something comes to mind that I should pray about. I think it is good for us to remember that when we turn to God in prayer, it should not just be a laundry list of things we want. Rather, we should look to God in praise, thanksgiving, and in genuine conversation with our maker. Perhaps if we listened more than we talked, new and interesting things might start happening in our lives! --Chad Hershberger
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