Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. Emoji We were glad for the Viking win last night but didn’t stay up for the whole game. Today I am going to Aldi’s and Exercise class and then Ann and Leif are coming for dinner so we can celebrate Leif’s birthday.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Perhaps all of us have read of different prayer techniques and one or more of them sounded great but when we tried them, it did not seem to work for us. But that is okay, and we don’t need to apologize because we are all different and we have to discover what works for us at a particular time in our lives. The Lord knocks at our heart’s door and our relationship is not like anyone else, so we must seek what is nurturing for us as we answer His knock and commune with Him. I like a quiet hidden place but there are those who like to be out amongst others and praying as they walk. We need to ask ourselves what is best for a nurturing relationship and always be ready for change as we are led.

Of course, we should always be open to praying with other believers, and it is good to have communal prayer, helping us realize we are not alone but part of the family of God. We pray Sunday mornings as we say the Lord’s prayer together, and also join in praying for those on the prayer list etc. There is much power in those prayers when we pray together. Of course we are to pray alone as well, and I often pray the Jesus Prayer, “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me a sinner.” It was also the prayer of the blind beggar in Luke 18:13. Some like to pray the rosary and others like Lectio Divina where scripture is read 4 or 5 times, first to get the gist of it, then to meditate on it and see what seems to jump out, then to pray in response and then to just sit in silence and reflect on it. Some also move on to act in some way on the passage. Another way that Albert Haase, a Franciscan priest mentions, is how he reads the scripture several times and then asks what the passage speaks to his history, and to his head, to his heart and finally to his hands to take some action.

Imaginative prayer is also done by those who read the gospel and put themselves in the story of a certain character and scene. What would it feel like to be the prodigal or the elder brother and it may trigger feelings from the past to share with a spiritual director. Or you may like to pray what I remember by the acronym ACTS. Start with Adoration and a prayer and then proceed to Confess our sins of commission and omission before going on to Thanksgiving as we remember God’s gifts to us and conclude with Supplication. That is a time to ask for prayer needs and intercede for others. There are many more ways to pray but it is up to us to find our own unique ways that open us up to a closer relationship with the Lord.

Challenge for today: Be open and ask the Lord to show you unique ways to pray and draw ever closer to Him.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy