Just Talk to Jesus: Awareness

The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory. (Psalm 97:6 HCSB)

May the Lord of peace Himself

give you peace always in every way.

The Lord be with all of you. 

(2 Thessalonians 3:16 HCSB)

Patrick prayed, "Christ beside me on my left and my right," longing to be constantly conscious of the Lord's presence. Another segment of this prayer says, "I rise and bind to myself today the strong virtues of the Trinity, the Three in One and One in Three, Creator of the Universe." Patrick wanted to be aware of each member of the Trinity as soon as he arose each day. He wanted to be so close to God that God's character qualities wrapped around him. The Apostle Paul expressed the same thought more simply as he prayed for his friends: "The Lord be with all of you." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

When the early Irish Christians realized that God surrounded them, they embraced this knowledge whole-heartedly, putting it into practice in their prayer lives. Poetery was already an important part of Irish culture, so they began creating poetic prayers. Because much of the population was illiterate, prayers were passed down verbally from generation to generation. They had prayers to say while milking cows, prayers to say for a sore throat, prayers for bathing -- prayers for each activity of their everyday routines.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation; old things have passed away,

behold all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

"All things" -- not just a time of prayer and Bible study squeezed into my schedule, not just attendance at church -- "have become new." The Lord wants my entire day, or as Paul put it, God asks me to become "a living sacrifice." (Romans 12:1)

O Lord of Peace

You surround me night and day,

calling me to fellowship and prayer.

Open my eyes, my ears, my mind

to be aware of You,

to interact with You,

and to delight in You. 

_____

I am revisiting the themes of several of my books as I seek to “just be with Jesus." Today's post is adapted from my book Sacred Signposts. I am putting aside lengthy readings for a season, and instead looking for one word or phrase from a scripture portion to carry through the day. Today’s word, for me, is "awareness."

photo credit: antrim coast via photopin (license)