Wednesday February 10, 2021

In the busyness of our everyday lives, we often fail to prepare our hearts and minds for reading God’s word and experience God in this time. Take a moment to allow this prayer to lead you into your time with God today. 

As I enter into this time of prayer and reflection, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to re-center my scattered senses upon the presence of God. 

Holy and loving God, in this new season I invite you to shape my soul with your words and inspire my life with your works. Teach me to walk in the way of peace and grace. AMEN. 

Genesis 28:16-19

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

Jacob’s life was in turmoil. Conspiring with his mother, he had stolen the birthright of his older brother, Esau. After their mother heard that Esau was so angry he planned to kill Jacob, she instructed Jacob to flee. All alone, God had revealed himself to Jacob in a dream leading Jacob to declare, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

God loves surprising us. In the most ordinary of places, God delights in revealing himself in extraordinary ways. I imagine God smiling with joy at Jacob’s spontaneous declaration.

Have you ever considered that you bring joy to God when you delight in the gifts he shares?

Perhaps you could begin today with a renewed sense of anticipation. Maybe God is waiting to meet you in the mundane. Perhaps you might even bless God by experiencing him today in an unexpected way.

Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to You, in every way.

Amen.

*Our opening and closing prayers are adapted from Lectio365, a mobile application developed by the 24-7 Prayer Network. To find out more about this resource, visit this link.