Planning

From Oswald Chambers:

Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

INclude God in yur plans today -- pray first, and pray that those planning GBC would include God in the planning with utter intimacy.

Sing!

Exod 15:1a - Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted;...

Does prayer flow from you as readily as a song when you hear a favorite on the radio? Why not? Today as you pray, ask God to make prayer "a favorite" in your life, then remember GBC.

Set It Aside

Henri Nouwen said in his book "Making All Things New"

Five or ten minutes a day may be all we can tolerate. Perhaps we are ready for an hour every day, an afternoon every week, a day every month, or a week every year. The amount of time will vary for each person according to temperament, age, job, lifestyle, and maturity.

But we do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him. We may have to write it in black and white in our daily calendar so that nobody else can take away this period of time.

What a marvelous idea -- we should be as disciplined about our time with God as we are about our time with co-workers. Make sure to set aside time for God and use it to pray for GBC and the rest of your life.

Vocational Prayer

A Roman prayer for vocation that seems to strike a right note for GBC:

O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart Your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to youth that they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve God. Give them courage and strength to follow God's holy will. Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds, conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where they will labor in God's holy service.
Amen.

A Glad Heart

1 Chr 16:10 - Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

In prayer we seek God -- and He in return grants us a glad heart. If prayer does not lighten your load, if it does not make you glad then it is likely you are doing somethig besides seeking God. As you pray today, for GBC, etc., take a deep breathe, clear your mind, and seek God.

Preparatory Prayer

This is a great one frm St. Ignatius:

Lord, I so wish to prepare well for this time.
I so want to make all of me ready and attentive and available to you.
Please help me to clarify and purify my intentions.
I have so many contradictory desires.
I get preoccupied with things that don't really matter or last.
I know that if I give you my heart,
whatever I do will follow my new heart.

In all that I am today, all that I try to do,
all my encounters, reflections - even the frustrations and failings
and especially in this time of prayer,
in all of this may I place my life in your hands.
Lord, I am yours. Make of me what you will. Amen.

What a great prayer to use to start your time with the Lord, when praying for GBC or anything else.

Commanded To Pray

John Piper says

One thing is crystal clear from this passage (Col 4:2-4): it is God's will that we pray to him. Sometimes we struggle to know the will of God for our lives. But there are some things that you do not have to struggle to know. One of them is that God's will is that you pray to him. The text says, "Devote yourselves to prayer." God wills for you to pray to him.

Prayer is not an option, it's not a pastime, its not a diversion. It is a command.

Are you praying like you have to?