Daily Prayer - Life in the Spiritual Desert

Good Tuesday afternoon, my friends.

 

Have you ever experience a "spiritual desert"?  Are you in one now?  Do you feel like God has abandoned you, or even question that He is real at all?

 

I know that feeling well.  I have had it several times.  

 

As I pondered this recently I began to think of my journey and how I have been changed by it.  Have you been changed?  Has having a relationship with Christ made any difference in your life, however small?  Then know this – if He has begun a change in you, he will bring it through to completion (Philippians 1:6). 

 

So the question is:  why are you/I in the "desert"?  There can be a number of reasons.  It may well be a time of testing, where God is allowing us to spend time to strengthen us and purify our faith.  But before we jump to that conclusion we need to look at other possibilities.  It could be an issue of sin in our lives – are we engaged in an activity, or spending time thinking about something, that is offensive to God?  It could be busyness.  Are we too preoccupied with work, family, sports, hobbies, etc. to find time for spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible reading, etc.?  Are we simply ignoring God because things are going really well for us right now and we feel we don't need Him?  (That is a very dangerous place to be!)

 

Any of these are possible and we need to do some self-reflection before deciding that God is simply testing us.  But whatever the reason, you can be sure that once we have identified and dealt with the issue, or God has determined our time of testing is over, then we will move out of the desert and into an oasis of God's love.

 

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

 

 

Lord, we are your people, the sheep of your flock.

 

Heal the sheep who are wounded.

 

Touch the sheep who are in pain.

 

Clean the sheep who are soiled.

 

Warm the lambs who are cold.

 

Help us to know the Father's love through Jesus the shepherd, and through the Spirit.

 

Help us to lift up that love, and show it all over this land.

 

Help us to build love on justice and justice on love.

 

Help us to

believe mightily,

hope joyfully,

love divinely.

 

Renew us that we may help renew the face of the earth.

 

Amen

 

(http://www.angelfire.com/md/elanmichaels/renewal.html)

 

 

 

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.