How Can We Seek Sacred Pauses in Our Lives
by Joy Lenton
Prayer can feel like deep mystery as well as the simplest and most natural activity of all. There are no set formulas, no wrong way to pray.
We learn and grow in the doing of it.
Methods may help us to find our feet or keep thoughts focussed but they are never intended as things to enslave and prevent freedom of expression.
The acronym below is a suggestion to aid us in coming to prayer, a possible preparation process that can help us to engage more fully with knowing God. It is intended to encourage greater mindfulness in how we come to God and growing awareness of how precious it is to be in communion with Him.
Prayer is primarily about being in a dependent, loving, surrendered relationship and continual conversation with God.
Pause ~ from busyness. Breathe deep. Exhale. Just be. Take time to taste the sacred in the secular. Ready yourself to receive.
Reflect ~ on God’s goodness and grace, your need for mercy and forgiveness, His provision for every problem you may encounter.
Ask ~ boldly because you come in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Because you are God’s beloved child. He longs to hear your voice and answer every need.
Yield ~ the answer, outcome and timing to God. Yield your mind and heart, your will, your life and your desires to His greater plans and purposes.
Engage ~ your senses; sharpen your spiritual antennae. Be fully present and in the moment. Listen attentively.
Respond ~ with gratitude, thanksgiving and praise, with a deep abiding appreciation of God’s will and ways, with obedience, with a surrendered spirit.
Dear Father,
Help us to take sacred pauses out of our schedules so that we can co-labour with you to set them according to your schedule.
Show us how to take opportunities to listen and learn in an open dialogue with you, to experience a meeting place between the miraculous and the mundane, the eternal and the temporal as heaven touches earth.
May each divine encounter leave us changed and transformed by grace, renewed by Holy Spirit’s touch and revived by your amazing love.
Amen.
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There are no set formulas, no wrong way to pray. We learn and grow in the doing of it. (tweet this)
Joy Lenton
Joy is a grace-dweller and storyteller who weaves words out of the fabric of her days. Her desire is to seek the poetic in the prosaic and look for the eternal in the temporal.
As an M.E and chronic illness sufferer, who is also recovering from a painful past, she writes with a heart for the hurting and to support and encourage others who are struggling with life and faith issues.
She is a member of the Association of Christian Writers and Fellowship of Christian bloggers.
You can connect with her at her blogs, ‘Words of Joy’ or ‘Poetry Joy’, and on Twitter, Facebook, Google + or Pinterest.
Thanks for a wonderful post on prayer. I loved reading it and thinking more about the sacred pauses during my day.
Thank you, Rose. I’m so pleased these words have been a blessing to you. The steps outlined here are ones I need to remind myself of frequently too as it is all too easy to get distracted and fail to engage fully in prayer. May you be blessed by the comfort of God’s nearness as you seek more sacred pauses in your day.
I love this post! My prayers have in the past been mundane and very repetitive. I have recently started focusing entirely on my prayers and avoiding all possible distractions (as much as I can). I ask God specific questions and I know He answers me. It has happened time and time again, but I have to be willing to listen for the answer. I love knowing that God will answer my prayers because a lot of people don’t believe that God still talks to us today. Do you believe that God answers us today?
Hello Hali. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. It’s so true that in listening to God we “have to be willing to listen for the answer” because it often comes in ways and times we least expect it to. I fully believe God answers prayers today. The more we tune into His voice the better prepared we are for hearing from Him. And to sense it as a word from God by Holy Spirit confirmation. The answers may not come quickly or be what we anticipated but they will be in accordance with God’s word and His will for our lives. May you continue to be blessed as you make time for sacred pauses.
I had a recent experience where I was praying for something and I didn’t think I would get my answer because my prayer was so specific. But I still had faith that God would answer at least part of my prayer. I continued looking for the answer and often took time to pray to recognize the answer when it came. Today I finally got the answer. It was such a tender mercy and about brought me to tears. I love that God is so willing to answer our prayers. Have you had any recent experiences with prayer?
Thank you for your beautiful and thoughtful posting. It reflects your closeness and walk with God.
Thank you, Sulo. I’m glad it has been a blessing to you! 🙂
Thanks Joy! You have written a beautiful and very helpful post.
Hi Jedidja. Thank you for finding me here! It’s good to hear how this post has helped you. God bless. 🙂