Day 22: 31 Days of Prayer

Day 22: 31 Days of Prayer

Verse:

“For the director of music. A psalm of David. (19-2) The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of his hands; day pours forth this message to day, and night reveals this knowledge to night. There is no speech and there are no words; their voice is not heard, yet their echo goes out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. He has pitched a tent in the heavens for the sun,” Psalm 19:1-4

Reflection:

Some of my most memorable times of prayer have been at night, basking in the glory of God under the stars. There is something about sitting beneath the stars that gives me such peace. I have had similar experiences when I look out from a mountaintop or sit on the sand listening to the waves. I believe that in these moments I am filled with peace because God’s creation reminds us how astonishing, majestic, and powerful the Lord is. And how small, ordinary, and powerless we are. This gives me peace. Why? Because it reminds me that I do not have to control everything. That there is a God, and I am not Him. The God who created the world is the God who is greater than all the problems in the world, including my many small personal problems. In recent weeks, there has been a challenge to pray more fervently, more steadfastly, and to pray over the challenges before us. This is clearly a difficult call when we forget to whom we are praying. Psalm 19 shows us a quick way to remember the glory of God: simply make time to be still and admire His creation. Without words, the works of the Lord’s hands send us a powerful message about the God we serve.

Challenge:

Today, make time throughout your day to let God’s creation speak. Perhaps you have time (and live in a place warm enough) where you can spend time praying in a park or by a lake. Or perhaps you only need to spend 30 seconds looking up at the sky, admiring the clouds and the stars. Wherever you are, there is much of God’s creation for us to admire. Even in the busy center of Madrid where I live, there is creation that I can admire. So when you pray, praise the Lord for “His invisible qualities, namely His eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20) being clearly revealed through the creation around us, so that we may remember that God is far more powerful than anything in this world.

Translated from the article “31 Days of Prayer: Day 22” by Courtney Fink