By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
I’m happy to share this wonderful painting by my dad that I recently featured in my monthly newsletter. I love the movement and color as I imagine the trees clapping their hands, all worshiping God together, even as they prepare to hibernate for the winter. We all need times of rest and repair, moments to hunker down and be still.
Why not take a few moments to ponder this passage of Scripture and take in the beauty of the painting or something beautiful around you?
He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs. Ezekiel 17:5–6
So encouraging to read Joy’s reflections on her early-parenting years and how God met her through them. She shares how she turned the mundane moments of sweeping up the breakfast crumbs into a time of communion with God. Whatever your season of life, I think you’ll be inspired.
Reflecting back to my time as a stay-at-home mother of two young children under the age of five, I recall hardly having a moment to myself. Those equally beautiful and challenging years of day-in, day-out, around-the-clock childcare made it difficult to have an uninterrupted cup of tea, let alone a proper quiet time with God! And it was in that stretching season of my life, where realistically there was no way of keeping to a consistent moment with God, that I encountered Him in a very tangible and practical way.
I remember feeling looked after and guided by the Holy Spirit while I swept crumbs from underneath the table before the next mealtime and prepared endless dinners and snacks. Comforting my three-year-old daughter after a bad dream and nursing my baby son in the middle of the night, I could sense that God’s presence was right there with me. Or when I was up early sorting the dishes and preparing breakfast, it’s as if God was opening my eyes to see that there wasn’t a legalistic right or wrong time to pray. Any moment, great or small could be used as an opportunity to speak with God, invite Him into my days, seek His wisdom, and share my heart.
I started inviting Him more and more into my everyday happenings—finding that at the core of prayer is a person’s heart and willingness to share freely with God Almighty. We, by our very design, are created to be in relationship with God the Father, made possible through Jesus the Son, and connected through the Holy Spirit.
For me, anytime is now prayer time—every moment I can be in communion with God is time well spent. From praying as I drive the children to school to singing worship songs as I put on a load of laundry, from appreciating nature in the garden to going grocery shopping, there are so many little moments that we can share with God throughout our days. Nothing is too insignificant for Him, and because of Jesus, we should confidently approach His throne (Heb 4:16) just like children run straight to their parents when something is needed.
My prayers can sometimes be lengthy, but often, they are an accumulation of short sentences dispersed throughout my day’s activities. Whether you are able to have a regular morning quiet time or perhaps your prayers are “on the go,” let us creatively welcome any and every moment as an opportunity to grow in our relationship with God, seek His will in our lives, and embrace His answers with open eyes, minds, and hearts.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV
Joy A. Mead is a Jesus-loving, American mother living in the United Kingdom with her British husband and their two wonderful children, a daughter and a son. She passionately encourages mothers to persevere and be intentional in their role, grow closer to God through their journeys of motherhood, and to seek Jesus in their everyday living through writing on her blog. Her first book, Taking Care of Mama will be released in Spring 2023 at Wipf and Stock Publishers. Connect with her on her website.
Order 7 Ways to Pray here for more ways to encounter God.Sign up for Amy’s monthly newsletter, including a prayer practice.
I’ve appreciated getting to know Ruthann recently and have been moved and inspired by how she is negotiating life after the death of her husband. Her prayer life is blossoming and she’s feeling God’s nearness. I think you’ll be inspired too!
I have been journaling my journey as a widow since the passing of my husband, Norman. Our marriage was nearly 40 years. We were good friends, and our ongoing conversations were about anything that needed words: family, his illness and all the details that go into years of the stressors of care, finances, travel to doctors and more. As Norman’s illness intensified, our conversations were of things one considers as life races toward physical death. Of course, we talked of our relationship and of our relationship to God, both as individuals and as a couple. And how I would get along without Norman.
When he passed, I began to frequently read Our Daily Bread as a midday pick-me-up and an affirmation of God’s love and presence. The two questions following the daily text reading most often needed more than a quick response. So I began writing down my thoughts and responses to these questions, sometimes enjoying a smile as I knew how Norman would have added to my own thoughts, or argued for one of his to be included!
What began as an Our Daily Bread “go-along” became more complex. My little sticky notes and backs of envelopes became a real, daily journal. Each day, I write down things I am thankful for, maybe some random thoughts or feelings of grief, a verse that speaks to something I am working through, or a reminder that I am God’s work in progress. And of course, my answers to the Our Daily Bread questions.
And there is a prayer list. I like this written reminder of those who need prayer (including me!) and it is joyful to write down God’s responses and answers to the prayers. The waiting room can be crowded sometimes, but as I’m waiting for God’s response or plan, I’m amazed at the others I meet who are sharing that room. And what’s more amazing is when someone asks me to pray for them—what an honor! And onto the list they go! There are so many resolutions: a baby born premature, yet surprising doctors who expected him to be in the hospital far longer; a life-long friend whose husband deals with much physical pain, yet perseveres and remains joyful and hopeful, knowing the love his friends hold as they pray for this pain—knowing that God is listening; or my prayer for help with my own loneliness that brought a new friend into my life. It is so humbling, yet powerful, to thank God for his answers to an item on this list.
All of this started with my need to bring sustenance to my life following the loss of my husband and best friend. But as I write in this journal, it is so much more. There are times when I can “hear” my husband’s response to the questions, and that memory becomes a journaled reminder of our marriage and the discussions—agree or not—that filled our days and years. Perhaps, at first, this journal was a way to continue the conversations with Norman? I can’t answer that, but I have my suspicions! I do know these Our Daily Bread readings and journaling have helped me grow as a widow with purpose and determination to thankfully receive God’s blessings—and share them—as I learn how to live this new life.
Ruthann Yeaton is a retired widow reinventing her life after years as an insurance-providing breadwinner and then caretaker. Her life is simpler now, yet busy with friends she missed, new friends, my adult children and a new grandchild. She lives in a huge old house, and spends some of her time working on the “downsize,” although that is not always the best way to enjoy one’s hours! Her daily walks are perfect times to pray, sing (really, you don’t want to hear that, but the cornfields don’t seem to mind), and admire the beautiful colors of midwestern farm country. Way back in the day, she studied Art; now she studies the Art of God’s masterpiece, and it is remarkable in the visual changes, the music of nature, the smells of a field of clover, the play of light on snow.
Order 7 Ways to Pray here for more ways to encounter God.Sign up for Amy’s monthly newsletter, including a prayer practice.
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
We’ve enjoyed some beautiful sunsets and sunrises lately, which this wonderful painting of my dad’s evokes in my mind. This scene makes me think of visiting the farms of my relatives from both sides in the Midwest. I appreciated the wide-open spaces, the cats running around the barn, the rows of corn ready to be detassled and harvested.
Why not pray for farmers today, and all who work the land? You could meditate on this passage from Deuteronomy 28 (NIV) as you do so (see especially verses 8 and 11):
1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. 11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
12 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
How gratitude can lead to change and intimacy with God… I love Teresa’s account of this simple but profound practice, which has led to transformation in her life. How might you incorporate giving thanks into your morning routine?
Many years ago, after reading yet another of those news reports where, after a near-death experience, someone found a new appreciation of life, I decided to follow their example of appreciation – thankfully without the trauma! That began by expressing gratitude to God, first of all, for waking up; for the gift of a new day. I have shared the following short routine in my workshops, articles, and in my new prayer guide, Pray Then Listen, A heart-to heart with God.
Hands and Thanks
As soon as you wake up speak to God, saying, “Thank You, dear Lord, for the gift of this new day.”
Open your eyes, brush one hand over the other. Then say something like this: “Thank You, dear heavenly Father, that I can still see, feel, and move, and for all the other workings of my body.”
This simple routine brought a huge benefit to my life as in doing this I had begun to make Christ the foundation of my day. Following on from that, the natural progression was to invite Him to share my day. Every part of it. That meant that, on top of my formal prayers, I began to speak to God informally too. If I had a challenge to face – I asked for His help. A task to carry out, as it twisted and turned – I asked His advice. Saw something beautiful in nature – I praised Him. Working as a journalist – I specifically asked His help with my writing. And so on so on.
All of this had also moved me into the two-way street of prayer. Instead of using God as a sort of sounding board, I was talking to Him from my heart and then expectantly listening and watching for His answers. My life has been enriched beyond measure.
When I began to read Amy’s 7 Ways to Pray, Time-tested practices for encountering God I recognized a fellow practitioner of this way to live. I could identify with much of her walk with Christ. The specifics of her life were very different to mine but her life’s journey led to the same place: that wondrous close relationship with our Living Lord. For this reason, I love Amy’s book! With the Bible as the hub I enjoy being refreshed by authentic, well-written, books such as hers which show us how to draw ever-closer to our Maker.
On my own path I realized some time ago that, in the way I now lived, I was actually edging towards that high goal of continuous prayer highlighted by St Paul: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17.
All this began by simple gratitude for each new day.
Teresa O’Driscoll, born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, spent many years working as a journalist in Athens, Greece. Now back in her native city she writes books, articles and blogs, and runs writing and spiritual / self-development workshops. Her latest book, Pray Then Listen, A heart-to-heart with God is published by Circle Books. Visit her at her website.
Order 7 Ways to Pray here for more ways to encounter God.Sign up for Amy’s monthly newsletter, including a prayer practice.
By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
My daughter loves autumn. She doesn’t enjoy heat and doesn’t love the beach like I do, so for her, the changing leaves don’t instill in her a sense of dread. I used to love fall with the gorgeous colors especially in the upper Midwest in the States, but now autumn for me means shorter and shorter days and the bone-chilling cold that the damp atmosphere of England can bring.
What does this season mean to you? How could you offer all of your feelings about it to God? Perhaps today you might want to take a walk, taking in the sights and sounds around you, asking God to reveal himself to you as you do. What might he be welcoming you to relinquish in this season?
For my friends in the Southern hemisphere, what things might God be awakening in you as you enter Spring?
You could also take some time to pray with this lovely painting by my dad. Let your eye move around it, asking God to lead you in prayer. You might want to ponder a passage of Scripture as you do so, such as one of these:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:33–34, NIV).
In [God’s] hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10, NIV).
I’ve had the absolute delight of walking by the sea near to where Jean lives; I can only imagine what that must feel like as one’s daily walk. We can’t all live close to the sound of crashing waves or the gentle lapping of water, but we can all walk with God. As you take a few moments to read and ponder, why not set aside some time to enjoy God’s presence?
As a child, I grew up by the seaside, on the beautiful north coast of Ireland. Some of my early memories include long walks on the beach, frequently with my favourite aunt, as we talked together and she pointed me to Jesus. As a young teenager I remember lying in the sandhills above the beach reading a book, feeling God’s presence as he spoke to me through it.
Having lived in various situations around the world, these days I live by the seaside once more. And it’s there that I still experience my closest moments to God.
In 7 Ways to Pray Amy talks about ‘practising the presence of God’ as Brother Lawrence described it. This lay monk has always struck a chord in my heart. Brother Lawrence practised God’s presence while working in the kitchen, and I do a bit of that too, but for me walking along the coast has always brought me close to God. I think of the reference to Enoch in Genesis 5: 24, ’Enoch walked with God.’ In Luke 24:15 we read of the two walking to Emmaus when ‘Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.’ I love that idea of walking with God as I physically take my daily walk.
2 minutes of pondering God our Rock on the South Coast of England with Amy
Walking along the coast, in awe at the changing colours of the sky and its reflection in the sea, my heart lifts in praise to the Creator of such beauty. On a windy day when I am struggling to keep upright, the rigging on the yachts rattling in the harbour, the waves crashing against the rocks and the gulls calling out in joy, I am reminded of his almighty power. And on a quieter day I sit on a rock, bathed in the warmth of God’s love, soothed by the gentle lapping of water on the shore, feeling God’s peace settling on my heart, hearing his ‘still small voice.’ It is in these moments above all that I feel God’s nearness, as my thoughts are stilled and focused on him and a sense of calm displaces my anxieties and concerns.
At such times, words are not always necessary. Amy quotes Brother Lawrence, ‘My prayers are nothing other than a sense of the presence of God.’ Sometimes being aware of God’s presence takes us beyond words. For me, these occasions often happen when I’m outside in nature, aware of God’s creation around me. For you it may be different.
Not all of us live by the seaside. Not all of us can easily walk, or be, in a beautiful place. Perhaps like Brother Lawrence most of your day is taken up in mundane tasks, in a repetitive job, in caring for others. But wherever we are, God is there. Can I encourage you today to be intentional about ‘practising God’s presence’? Find your special place where God feels near and make yourself available to him there.
The two on the road to Emmaus urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us.’ Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him.
(Luke 24)
Having worked in theological education in Kenya and the Christian charity Care for the Family in Ireland, Jean Gibson enjoys sharing the stories of people who inspire her. Her books include Seasons of Womanhood, Journey of Hope and An Open Door. Details can be found on her website.
Order 7 Ways to Pray here for more ways to encounter God.Sign up for Amy’s monthly newsletter, including a prayer practice.
Hello from sunny Spain! I am here at El Palmeral leading a retreat. This week we’re exploring the story of Jesus with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and how friendship with God changes them—and us. I’ll be sharing some videos on my YouTube channel in which I lead prayer exercises and welcome you to join in. Here’s one that introduces the lovely chapel, after we’d prayed night prayer together. Enjoy!
My first writing love is Bible reading notes, in the British parlance (devotionals). When New Daylight asked me to write back in 2008, I soon realized that this was my favorite type of writing. I never tire of it. I love delving into the commentaries and putting together the narrative and then discerning how we can apply God’s word to our life.
All are available worldwide in digital format; printed booklets are also available but postage out of country can be expensive.
What an insightful post by Tasher about our need to listen at least as much as we talk when we pray, as inspired by his observations of his wife’s friendships. I hope you’ll read, enjoy, and put his advice into practice!
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (Exodus 33:11)
I never really understood prayer to be talking with God as if He is a friend—the kind you tell everything—until I observed my wife and her friends.
My wife, Jennifer, is on the phone every two or three weeks with Lindsay, her friend of almost three decades. She and Lindsay met on a serendipitous camping trip when she was nine. They wrote to each other every year from then on through college. They shared in each other’s lives through weddings, miscarriages, and the births of all six children. They talk about each child’s idiosyncrasies, eating preferences, the cute things that three-year-olds say and even the goals of their entrepreneurial husbands. Each call is a feast of excitement and ends because mothers must return to their children.
In my estimation, the hallmark of friendships like these is listening. I have yet to meet someone whose complaint was that their best friend listens too much. Many people, however, are known for their talking.
In fact, most of us talk at God.
We have been taught what to say and how to say things to God in prayer. We’ve even received formulae about how to order things, whether to quote scripture or not and the real meaning of praying in Jesus’ name. While these ways to pray have varying degrees of merit, they’ve often produced extravagant, eloquent talkers and deplorably poor listeners.
We turn up to prayer with our cries and complaints, scriptures and supplications, with our fears, needs, pleas, praise and thanksgiving. God is pleased because He wants to hear all of it. I’m guessing He’s also disappointed because as soon as we are done presenting that list, we move on to the next thing. God thus becomes that friend who never gets an opportunity to participate in the conversation. Imagine how the story would have gone if Moses had said, “Please, show me Your glory,” then went back to hearing the people’s complaints and judging between them.
Do we not do the same? Do we ask God for help or direction and then get back to whatever task is before us? After we empty ourselves of our cares, worries and burdens and then move on to the next thing, what will fill that space? Won’t it be more of the same? More overwhelm. More feelings of inadequacy. More pressure and increasingly feeling rushed. In Philippians, the Holy Spirit promises a peace that will have others, and you, wondering how you can be so calm and content given your circumstances. We are guaranteed to miss that blessing if we don’t take the time to let Him fill us up.
Jesus assured us that the Father knows that we need all “these things” (Matthew 6:32). Our approach to prayer, then, shouldn’t be as if we are talking to someone who doesn’t know what is going on in our lives. It should be more about creating space to hear what God has to say. God has an answer for whatever question and provisions for whatever the need.
While God always acts to provide for our needs, He desires that as the deer pants for the water, we thirst and long for Him. As He fills us with Himself, we come to know His presence. Then we feel His peace, strength, comfort and healing.
Stillness is a prerequisite to knowing God and hearing from Him. (Psalm 46:10) Make time, after you finish talking, to be still. Cultivate the ability to discern God’s voice from the rest of the noise. (Amy addresses this in her book 7 Ways to Pray.) Enter into your prayer time intent on doing more listening than talking. Grab a journal and in that stillness, write down what you hear.
If we listen twice as much as we talk, we’ll find that God is always speaking and that He answers every prayer.
Tasher Adaarewa is an author (Decision Design) and entrepreneur. He provides coaching and consulting for Christian businesses to help them realize the vision God gave them. More of his work can be found at tactgroupinc.com
Order 7 Ways to Pray here for more ways to encounter God.
