Jesus is My Refuge

On Palm Sunday Jesus wept over Jerusalem because the people didn’t recognize him (Luke 19:41). Later in Holy Week Jesus cried out for us all: “O how I have longed to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings!” (Matthew 23:37, paraphrase).

Do you desire to be that close to Christ? David sought to take refuge under the wings of the Lord, snuggled up to his chest. We can “take heart” from him.

In Psalm 61:1-4 David is in a desert wilderness and he prays: “Hear my cry, O God… From the ends of the earth I call to you… Lead me to the rock that is higher than I… I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.”

I can imagine David hiding and praying in a desert cave as the armies of Saul (or his son Absalom) are hunting him down. In his trial he trusted in the Lord as his refuge.

What difficulty are you experiencing? Make the Lord your refuge.

Take a moment to pray “Jesus is My Refuge,” my Breath Prayer inspired by Psalm 61:4. Be still for awhile… Imagine yourself under the wings of Christ who longs for you with tears… See yourself hiding in Christ your cave… Let him embrace you close to his heart…

Breathe in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ… Breathe out your longing for him…
Linger in the selah of the Psalmist: breathe in Se (say)… and breathe out lah…

Jesus is My Refuge
Lord Jesus Christ… I long to dwell in your tent forever…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your wings…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your tears…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your cave…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your kingdom…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your embrace…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your holy name…
Se… lah…

Lord Jesus Christ… I long to dwell in your tent forever.

Abiding in Prayer is one of the spiritual exercises that helps me the most. I like to meditate on Scripture in this way for a few quiet minutes in the morning. Then as often as I can remember during the day I practice God’s presence as I do whatever I am doing by praying a line like:
“Lord Jesus Christ… I take refuge in the shelter of your wings…”

Jesus Smiles at You!

The most important thing in your life is that you see Jesus smiling at you! Then a smile will come to your face and to the people around you!

Do you see Jesus smiling at you? Do you ever pause to think about this and smile your appreciation in reply?

A smile is a powerful prayer! It can help you to overcome discouragement, worry, frustration, loneliness, or boredom – really!

Jesus welcomes you to come closer. He’s interested in how you’re feeling and what you’re doing – he enjoys knowing you and being your Friend. And to have the Lord God Almighty as your Friend is the best blessing!

Jesus opens his heart to you. He wants to encourage you and to guide you on the path of life with him. Follow Jesus and discover that, YOU are the disciple Jesus loves!

Here’s a favorite Breath Prayer of mine that I developed after my first two years of Praying the Psalms with Jesus everyday:

* “Jesus delights in me… I delight in you my Lord” (inspired by Psalm 18:19; 37:4, 23).

Breathe in (with a smile!): “Jesus delights in me…”

Breathe out (still smiling!): “I delight in you my Lord.”

Try it for a few minutes now, slowly and softly repeating it over and over…

As you go about your day breathe it in and out whenever you can remember: “Jesus delights in me… I delight in you my Lord.”

One breath. One prayer. It may seem like a little thing but it can make help you to do whatever you’re doing with and for Jesus – and to smile with the joy of the Lord!

Breathe a Prayer - it's Simple and Delightful!

In my teaching, counseling, and leading of retreats I find that people greatly benefit from learning how to use a “Breath Prayer” approach to meditating on a phrase from the Bible.

A reader of the Soul Shepherding Blog asked me for help in learning to do this…

My recent post, God’s Word to Me (based on my meditations from Psalm 19), included a number of Breath Prayers. Let’s take one as example (many of the short prayers I post work like this)…

“Jesus… I smile in your light.”

This easy and joyful prayer is a deep and profound response to God’s Kingdom in our midst!

Jesus said that he is the Light of the World and that we are lights to shine for him in the world. When we trust in him his light shines on us and all around us from above, inside us to permeate our whole being, and through us to bless everyone we come into contact with. This is by the Holy Spirit (“the Spirit of Christ”).

Light is the source and sustaining power behind all life on earth. Light is what enables us to see.

Smiling to Jesus helps us to appreciate that indeed he lights on us, smiles his favor on us, 24×7.

Try slooooowly breathing in and out:

Jesus… I smile in your light

Jesus… I smile in your light

Jesus… I smile in your light

Using a Breath Prayer like this will help you to meditate on and enter into the reality of God’s glorious kingdom.

Breathe in as you whisper: “Jesus…”

Breathe out (and smile!) as you whisper: “I smile in your light.”

Pause and then repeat the prayer.

Slowly breathing a prayer helps you to meditate or marinate in God’s Word, connecting with Christ and taking his words way into your heart (which is your will that orients your whole life).

Breathing in is an expression of receiving or internalizing God’s Word and Spirit.

Breathing out is an expression of releasing tensions and controls. Also it can be viewed as overflowing with (sharing) God’s Word and Spirit with others.

For more help see my articles on Centering Prayer and Breath Prayer.

Also, I tweet a centering “Breath Prayer” from the Psalms 1-2 times per day: http://twitter.com/billgaultiere.

God's Word to Me (and to You!)

Today I spent extended time alone with the Lord in prayer and meditation. Part of that time I meditated on Psalm 19 as I sat outside by a lake in the sunshine.

In Psalm 19 we are reminded that God is speaking to us in his creation and his law. If only we will be still… Open the eyes of our heart… Breathe in deep… Listen…

We see his beauty. We hear his wisdom. We know he is Love. We sense his heart reaching out to draw us close and embrace us in love. We trust his goodness transforming us into his own image. We share him with every person that we can.

O Beauty of beauties! O Wisdom of wisdom! O Word of life! O Jesus!

Let me prayer poem based on Psalm 19 help you to breathe in and out the name that is above all names…

God’s Word to Me

Jesus… You are God’s Son shining in the heavens

Jesus… I smile in your light

Jesus… You are my Bridegroom coming for me

Jesus… I hold you in my heart

Jesus… You are my Champion rejoicing to run your course

Jesus… I follow you

Jesus… You are God’s Law restoring souls

Jesus… I study and obey you

Jesus… You are more precious than gold

Jesus… I give up all for you

Jesus… You are sweeter than honey

Jesus… I delight in you

Jesus… You are God’s Word to me

Jesus… I love to speak your name

Pausing to Breathe a Prayer

I've been learning that prayer can be like breathing - something we do continuously and automatically without even thinking about it. I love using short phrases of Scripture as "Breath Prayers."

Breathing in and out God's Word as I go about my day connects me with God, adds tremendous meaning to my life, and gives me such peace. I've found that there are many "idle" spaces in any given day for prayer moments, like when I'm transitioning from one activity to the next, driving, waiting, getting ready in the morning, or preparing to go to bed at night (or laying in bed awake!).

To offer a Breath Prayer it helps to breathe in deeply and slowly, taking about 10 seconds for a breath. Learn to breathe (and pray) from your stomach - gently.
With each breath or two offer to God your short Scripture prayer.

The last couple of days I've been praying a favorite Breath Prayer inspired by Psalm 39, especially verses 5 and 11...

"My life is a breath... Selah.
I am a breath... Selah.
My life is God's breath... Forever.
I am God's breath... Forever."

(Note that the word "selah" is used in the Psalms and probably means, "Pause to reflect and pray.")

Join me in praying this Breath Prayer right now...

Breathe in deep and slow from your stomach... Hold your breath, longer than normal... Release slowly and gently... Wait to breathe longer than is comfortable to let your body feel the longing for God's Word and Spirit...

Without even using any words your breathing is expressing your prayerful intention to connnect with God...

Gently repeat this breathing prayer (You may need to practice this for it to become natural and easy and be able to experience being in the flow of the Spirit of God!)

Now, as you breathe in whisper God's Word: "My life is a breath"... Hold God's Word inside you... Release as you you whisper: "Selah"... Wait to breathe as you feel your longing for God...

Slowly and gently repeat for each phrase.

Try memorizing the prayer I wrote or one of the phrases in it and return to your Breath Prayer as often as you can during the day. Make a game of it! How many times can you remember to breathe in God's Word to you? Three? Thirty? Three hundred?!!!!

Please share your experience with us in the Christian Soul Care blog...

Hurry Sickness

Hurry sickness is rampant today in our culture. We rush from thing to thing. We try to get more done in less time. We use adrenaline (and caffeine) to pump us up and makes us feel alive and powerful.

Hurry sickness is bad for our health. It diminishes soul. And it destroys our relationships with one another and with God.

For most of my life I've done this. But I've been learning to stay out of the fast lane, to walk slower, and to pause to breathe and to pray.

In the Gospels I see that Jesus was never in a hurry - except at the end of his life when he headed toward Jerusalem to embrace his cross! (We tend to do the opposite by hurring into pleasures and achievements and refusing to deny ourselves.) Jesus always had time to enjoy people and to care for them. He always had time to pray.

What a joy it is when we learn to enjoy the moment with God!

What's your experience?

A Little but Powerful Prayer for Lent

One of the things I'm doing for Lent is carrying a rock in my pocket. Sounds like a funny thing to do, huh?

It's a prayer rock. I have a number of them. I found this one in Israel at what may have been the Apostle Paul's prison cell at the palace in Caesarea by the Sea.

I use it to remind me to shoot up little arrow prayes as I go about my day: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 1:21).

Sometimes I breathe in deep and slow as I whisper: "To live is Christ." I hold my breath to help me hold the Spirit and the Word in my consciousness. Then I release: "To die is gain." My exhaling a prayer helps me to let go of agendas and ambitions and to follow Christ's leadership.

The rock and the prayer remind me to turn my thoughts toward Christ and his sacrifice for me and you.

Maybe you've tried a form of Centering Prayer that you'd like to share? Or perhaps you have a way you're celebrating Lent that could encourage others?