Friday September 10, 2021

Today is Friday, September 10 and this week we are exploring how restoration is God’s deepest desire for us.

As I enter a time of prayer, I pause and become still. I calm my thoughts and awaken my heart. I breathe deeply and slowly, and center myself upon the presence of God.

Pause and Pray

Come Holy Spirit, I am present today to hear a word from you, Father God. I am listening. Speak to my heart and mind in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Today, I praise God with thanksgiving and celebrate His great love for me with the words of Psalm 107.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Psalm 107:1-3

Pause and Pray

Today we revisit the New Testament gospel of Luke where Jesus tells three parables about being lost. Jesus is surrounded by tax collectors and sinners and the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are disturbed that Jesus welcomes sinners even to the point of sharing a meal with them. In response to their frustration, Jesus tells three parables, one about a lost sheep, one about a lost coin and one about a lost son. As I listen to the words of Jesus in the second parable, I ask God to help me see the story with fresh eyes and find myself in the passage.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

I believe there is great rejoicing in heaven over each individual repentant sinner who was lost and is found. I reflect on the enormous reality of Jesus finding me and I imagine angels did rejoice for me. I was lost and now I am found. I don’t feel completely lost anymore, as Jesus has surely found me and redeemed me. However, I acknowledge there are parts of me that still feel lost. Particularly during the extended season of Covid and the struggle and challenges of the present day, I have “lost” some things. I have lost my sense of community and feel more isolated and separated from others. Maybe I have lost hope, or confidence, or optimism. Perhaps I have lost my ability to cope, or lost my strength or patience. Maybe I have lost my optimism, joy or happiness. Perhaps I have lost my motivation, self-discipline or inspiration. Maybe I have lost my innocence, my health, or my love. There is loss. Whatever I have lost, if it is something God wants me to have, then God will restore it.

Ask: Lord God, reveal the pieces of me that I have lost. Show me the places of my life that have gone missing.

Pause and Pray

Holy and Living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, nothing is hidden from your sight, nothing is beyond your grasp, even me, especially me. Lord, whether it is all of me or just a part of me that is somehow separated from you and lost, restore me and make me whole again. Through the power of your great love – find me. All of me. I read the words of Luke again and listen for the direct message Jesus speaks to me today.

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage?

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

I notice that in both the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin, the sheep and the coin are helpless. They cannot return on their own and be restored without the help of a caring shepherd or a diligent woman with a light and a broom. When I consider the parts of me that are lost right now, I ask myself, can I recover this on my own, or do I need the help of someone else? Do I need the help of Jesus?

I imagine being a coin that has rolled across the floor and lodged itself in a dark crevice, hidden from view. I ponder the things in my life I hide in the dark. What parts of my life or behavior would I prefer remain hidden from the searching light? Do I want my missing pieces to be exposed? To be found? Or kept hidden and secret?

Pause and Pray

Lord Jesus, I confess the things in my heart that I want to keep secret, even from you. Grant me your grace Lord. Help me to see that you want to restore me to complete wholeness because you love me, want the best for me and want to bless me. I invite you to shine your light on me, sweep the dust aside and expose what I have lost or what has become missing or hidden. Find and claim all of me. Restore me to wholeness so that I can rejoice with you and the angels. Amen.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

As I leave this time of prayer and go throughout my day, I rejoice in the knowledge that I was once lost and now I am found. I pray for others who are broken and lost in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.