Thinking about our treasure.....

Luke 2:19 “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.” (NAB)

 “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (KJV)

 “Mary treasured all these things and turned them over in her mind.” (Phillips

) “Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.” (MSG)

 “Mary kept thinking about all of this, wondering what it meant.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, 

We all have “treasures”….things we keep….maybe in a box, or locked in a safe, or displayed on a shelf, or in a glass front cabinet or tucked away in a cedar chest or drawer. But we know where those special treasures are, and from time to time we look at them, handle them, remember their meaning for us.

 Mary had a unique role in the life of Jesus Christ. A very young virgin, bearing a child in a strange town, in an unusual setting, with animals and shepherds and later wise men milling around, bowing down, leaving gifts, seeking out her baby to “see him”…to wonder at him. Every mother wonders at her own child, but these were strangers! Since the first visit of the angel, through Joseph’s affirmation and also Elizabeth’s, Mary knew these were times to remember, times to treasure, times to ponder. Her baby was special…not as all babies are special to their mothers, but in a spiritual holy way.  Mary “kept” all of this…pondered it, thought about it, reflected on it, turned it over and over in her mind. Who wouldn’t? These weren’t every-day, business-as-usual events!

 If Jesus Christ is born into our lives abiding in our heart, we too should treasure every moment. From the day we first see him, from the moment he becomes “real” to us, and we see the cross and the empty tomb, and understand what they mean…we too have a treasure, something to keep, something to turn over in our minds, ponder in our hearts, wonder about what it all means. 

This treasure is not meant to be locked away. No one can steal it or take it away from us! We want to show this treasure to everyone we meet! Our treasure becomes both a public and a private thing. We shout to the world that we have it and rejoice in it, but we also go alone to our prayer closet and hold it in wonder and awe and reflect and meditate on it. Jesus is ours to keep…to hold…to treasure…to wonder on and think about. How deeply do I recognize the treasure that I hold? How important have I let it be in my life? How often do I ponder it? 

Lord, I wish to carry this treasure always in my heart and mind and soul. Never apart from me, but always close within me. I wish to ponder and hold it dear, always. You are my treasure! Thank you, amen.

Absorbed in prayer...

Mark 1:35 “Rising early the next morning, he went off to a lonely place in the desert; there he was absorbed in prayer.” (NAB)

 “In the early morning, while it was still dark….went off to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” (NIV)

 “Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and prayed.” (CEV)

 Heavenly Father, 

Jesus started his day with deep prayer. He found a lonely, deserted place away from the crowds and prayed until his disciples came looking for him. He could have stayed in bed. He could have prayed with his disciples. He could have waited until later when he was busy and snatched some hurried prayer moments like most of us do. But he chose to get up before everyone else, go some place where he would be least likely to be interrupted, and spend solitary time with you.

 The NAB says he was “absorbed in prayer.” I like that image….his thoughts totally focused on conversation with You, his whole being directed to listening and worshiping in an abiding relationship. I need to let prayer absorb me. I need to let your presence come into the silence of my lonely deserted place and draw me to you. Too much of my prayer time is focused on my own thoughts, desires, requests, problems. My “deserted place” tends to be crowded with the agenda I bring along with me. Trying to be alone with you in silence to meditate on your words is what this morning time is about for me. But is that the same as being absorbed in prayer? Yes and no. Maybe it is as close as I can get for now.

 I pray that your words will surround me and teach me. I pray for insights and guidance. I pray for a changed attitude, for spiritual maturity, for an abiding relationship. I must come to you early, while still in the darkness of the world and find your presence in the lonely places of our relationship. I must allow you to absorb my thoughts, my spirit, my soul, my whole being. Lonely places of new recognition, new confrontation, places only I can go to be with you. You will meet me in any place I’m willing to go. When nothing else is there, but you and me, You will absorb me in prayer and I will absorb you in abiding relationship. Help me listen. Help me find absorption. Help me pray. Thank you always in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Holy Spirit helps us to pray....

Romans 8:26-27 “The Spirit too helps in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in speech.” (NAB)

“The Spirit also helps us in our present limitations. For example, we do not know how to pray worthily, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonizing longings, which cannot find words. He who knows the heart’s secrets understands the Spirit’s intention as he prays according to God’s will for those who love him.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, 

One thing is clear here about prayer. The Holy Spirit helps us in our “weakness” or “present limitations”. The pull of the world tends to ground us, keeping us tethered to worldly ideas and concepts and worldly time frames. But the Holy Spirit knows heavenly things, heavenly timelessness and can reach beyond our limited knowledge and understanding. The Holy Spirit helps us in prayer. When we sit in confusion, not knowing the words to say or even able to express our thoughts, the Holy Spirit can gather our feelings and longings and unintelligible groanings and turn them into prayer. 

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are always One. They can transcend any limits, any weakness of ours and turn our faith and hope into prayer. When we feel our prayers are hopeless, our prayers are unworthy, our prayers are too confused or unfocused to be of any use, the Holy Spirit can intercede for us. What we don’t know or can’t say, he can and does. 

Our call is to come in prayer with faith, hope, and love through our Savior, Jesus Christ, trusting and expecting answers. Our work is to pray, and your work, O LORD, is to hear and understand and act in accord with your holy will. You tell us to ask, to seek, to knock. Our worldly minds often ask the wrong things, seek the wrong answers, and knock persistently on the wrong doors. But the Holy Spirit can turn our prayers of faith, hope, love into prayer that asks, seeks and knocks on our Father’s heart. 

Father, If Christ is within us, then the Holy Spirit is there guiding our prayers and both intercede for us in your presence. Hear the groanings and sighs of my heart that I can’t express in intelligible thought! Hear my faith, my hope, my love and express them for me. Turn my mute, blocked heart secrets into expressions of love in faith in Jesus Christ. Turn my hopes into expectation of your loving answers! Thank you, Holy Spirit for helping intercede when I don’t know how to pray. Amen.