Always Present
Celia Sennon of Chicago, IL, USA
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. -Psalm 33:1-5
I am a living example of how God’s Spirit mends the broken and downtrodden. My relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, began during a time when I lived in a life-threatening situation. In desperation, I began to search for help to escape death. I knew there must be a better way to live. I just didn’t know how to obtain it, and I knew I could not do it on my own.
During that time, I was tired of carrying layers of guilt, shame, fear, emotional pain, abuse, anger, depression, and rejection. I was tired of feeling unwanted, ugly, and unloved. Housing layers of pain in my heart crippled me, and constant pain became a partner in my life.
One day someone said to me, “Cry out to Jesus. Nothing is too hard for him. Cry out to Jesus and He will change your situation.” Since then my life has not been the same. Through His mercy, I am living free to serve Him. It is only because of Him that I am alive today. Now that I am older, I am convinced His Spirit was always present even when I was too immature and lost to recognize Him. Even when I went astray and I turned my back on Him, His Spirit covered me. His love has never changed.
His Spirit is definitely alive in ordinary times!!
Prayer Phrase
Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).
Spiritual Practice
Inner Stillness
In the contemplative tradition, silent prayer is about cultivating a quality of inner stillness. You may visualize the story of Jesus calming the storm as a way of entering into this quality of prayer. Notice how churned up the waters of your soul are currently. As you breathe deeply, imagine a sacred stillness forming within you. What might it look like to engage all your relationships and daily tasks from this place of inner stillness? As you move through your day, notice when you feel stirred up and when you experience inner calm. Take note of patterns and themes. Invite all of your noticing into prayer as you continue to grow deeper in God as the source of your life and action.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
