Lord,

We meet you in the stillness to pray for our own personal needs.

We surrender our façade – the image of self-sufficiency we have constructed for ourselves.  We let go of who we feel we should be, and dwell in your presence in the freedom of who we really are. You see us, Lord. And you know us intimately.

We rush around as though we have it all together. But you see the innermost parts of our hearts – the parts we too often try in vain to conceal.

We need you, God. We need you so desperately.  We are desperate for your voice. We wait in expectation to hear you.

Some of us don’t hear you.  We’ve waited. We have been still. We have listened. And yet, you feel distant. We wonder where you are. We long for your company and we wait on your voice. Lord, bring us a cascade of your presence that washes over us and leaves us feeling filled by you. Speak to us, Lord, and show us the way back to your heart. We need not earn it or work for it, but instead we ask to be led by your hand; to hear you clearly amongst the chaos and noise.

Some of us are weary; broken hearted. There are empty seats around our tables. The Christmas season, for some of us, was one filled with the hollow hurt of loss. Our hearts mourn and ache for those that we miss. Lord, lift our heavy hearts. Bring us peace to know that your hand is upon us. You see us in our darkest hour and your love will never leave us nor forsake us. May we encounter a divine peace we only know to be you.

Some of us are disappointed. 2014 has been a year of setbacks and discouragement. We find ourselves in a place we didn’t intend to end up. We wonder why. Things don’t make sense and we feel left in depths of betrayal or disappointment. It leaves a bitter taste in our mouths as we step forward into a new year. Lord, bring us hope. May we rejoice in the things that are yet to come – may we feel eager to see the ways you will bring light from the darkness. And Lord would you give us eyes to see the ways you are working in us and through us – may we reflect on the wondrous things you have already been doing.

And some of us, Lord, are feeling filled by your spirit. We know that you love us, and reflect on a year of joy and prosperity. Lord, may our blessing be poured out unto others – would you give us eyes to see the ways our joy may serve and encourage those around us.

Lord, in our needs –  meet us. Meet us where we are. Find us in our hurt or our joy; our laughing or our grieving. Find us in the stillness, Lord. We lift up to you the desires of our heart, the rawness of our hunger. We turn to you, father.

You call us by name. you welcome us into your arms – no conditions, no exclusions. So, Lord we call out to you for whatever it is we need, and we ask that you deliver us; pour out your spirit. Let us bask in your goodness; your gentleness. May we feel the undeniable sense that you are near us. May we find refuge in you alone, abandoning the empty promises of the world and running instead, to you.

Amen.

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