Listen

I have asked one thing from the Lord— it’s all I seek: to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, seeing the Lord’s beauty and constantly adoring his temple. Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling during troubling times; he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent; he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

Psalm 27:4-5

Think

If you could ask one thing from the Lord, what would it be? I imagine the answers are endless. The catch is that God isn’t a genie. The Lord isn’t about granting wishes to whoever rubs a lamp. The Lord is about growing relationships with us. Today’s psalm doesn’t ask for riches, fancy cars, or clothing. The writer doesn’t ask for fame, power, or to fall in love as we often see depicted in movies. No, the Lord brings comfort, beauty, shelter, and loves us more than anything else. Treating the Lord like a genie, just wanting stuff, isn’t what God is about.

The hope is to recognize that God’s dwelling place is inclusive, with space for each of us so that we can grow closer to our Creator. The hope is that no matter where we go, we feel the Lord’s presence with us – for when we are with the Lord, we have all we need.

So if that’s true, then how might we pray differently so that prayers don’t feel like wishes?

Jeremy Wilhelmi

Pray

Lord, I pray for comfort, for beauty, to never feel away from your presence, and to feel your love as I seek to grow closer to you.

Amen.

Go

God places within each of us the light of life and love.

May that light warm you with God’s presence when you are alone.

May that light guide you when you can’t see the way.

May that light encourage you to shine brightly so that others might see the light God has placed within them.