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Day 17 (Monday) – “A Simple Prayer”

At the beginning of a new week, let’s pause to consider what we are attempting to do in Lent.  Lent reminds us to “slow”, and even reverse life if we have to.  We rush headlong into a new week, and there are many things to do.  I have my head full of calendar times, to-do lists, people to talk to, plans to make.  We are “to do” people more than we are “have done” people.  Still, in the midst of this, how can we learn to “slow”…take time to think, ponder, and be intentional so that God is not a weekend thought, but a daily if not hourly someone on our mind.

When we do this we discover, anew, that we are neither alone in our earthly sojourn, nor are we on our own on how to live.  Then, we learn to pray…but what?  Certainly, Jesus’ prayer is foundational.  When we pray the “Our Father”, we come back to God on the most foundational level of our basic needs.  As we go through the day, we experience all sorts of emotions.  We may feel loved and treated kindly, or we may feel other’s anger and our shame.  The Psalms are rich in prayers that range from good to evil, and we should learn to pray them.  For example

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
 Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
 Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”  But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! (Psalm 70:1-5).

The psalm of David begins with that simple prayer. "Please God, deliver me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me." In our flesh, we resist the urge to say the words.

Perhaps it’s simply that we don’t want to be dependent upon anyone.  But, we were designed by God to be dependent, not alone, not making it on our own.  This dependence is not a source of weakness, but rather of strength.  Think of all of the things that others have supplied to you – from Parents, Relatives, Neighbors, Teachers, Pastors, and Friends.  All of us have a rich “well of relationships” that we can lower our buckets into.  But the Psalmist reminds us of where our dependence first comes from.

First, our dependence is upon the Lord himself – “Make haste, O God, to deliver me”.  It’s the cry of a child to a loving parent, “Dad, help me”.  When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he said, "To love the Lord your God with all of your heart...." - to love him is to be dependent upon him for life day by day.

Sixteen hundred years ago, a European Christian named John Cassian (5th century) published an account of his conversations with monks living in a Middle Eastern desert. One older monk, Isaac, had shared this prayer from Psalm 70 with the younger John on his visit to their monastery.  John's book - and Isaac's prayer - had such an influence that even today many Christians around the globe begin times of prayer with the Scripture verse Isaac commended to John Cassian. 

It is a simple prayer and one worth repeating throughout the day. It's not hard to say, even to memorize, but if we meant it from the depth of our hearts, it would be a way of casting ourselves in dependence upon God every moment of the day... "Lord, please rescue me. Come quickly Lord and help me."   

Peace

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