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Lenten Devotionals 2009
Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of the Presence of God, Who is Love. Please share this ministry with others, and I hope you return soon. There is a new offering daily.
Blessings,
Rev Dr Brian K Wilcox
Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader, Spiritual Counselor, and Chaplain
PRAYERFUL ENTERING
Let the following sentences be preparation for entering into the Inner Sanctuary of the Heart of Hearts...
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.
*Northumbria Community.
Celtic Daily Prayer.
MAKING MELODY
"Grace." Michael W. Smith.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRXDsbRQNlA&feature=related
LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
*I Kings 19.11-13 (NLT)
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RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
What was the "gentle whisper" Elijah discovered the Divine Voice in? The translation of "gentle whisper" is rendered in other ways, for the Hebrew is difficult to render into English - "a gentle and quiet whisper" (MSB); "a soft whisper" (HCSB); "a quiet, gentle sound" (NCV); "a gentle breeze" (CEV); "a still, small voice" (KJV). The general idea in the renditions is this was not a high-volume Voice; the Divine spoke with subtleness.
Spirit does not have a mouth, of course. Spirit is not lingual or bilingual or trilingual.... And God is not located some where, like in heaven, on earth, in nature, beyond nature. So, does God speak? If so, from where? Possibly, from no-where?
However, God - being within and outside time, within and outside space - is part of the whereness of our lives and the linguistics that shape our lives. God has no language. God will use any language needed to communicate with us, however.
One language of God I call nudges. That is a rustic way of speaking of that sensation of Something telling you something, but you cannot define how. You just know it. I give an example.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
I could not sleep. I had no urge for sleep. I, finally, went to sleep at about 3 AM. I was taught to use sleepless time for prayer and that Spirit may want us awake to spend that time in prayer for some reason..
Then, the following night I fell into a deep sleep about 8:40 PM - and I usually am not even ready for sleep until hours later - often after midnight. I slept heavily until about 2:30 AM. I spent, then, hours in prayer and prayerful meditation.
Later, listening to music - Michael W. Smith "Grace," - while getting ready to leave for work, something happened that rarely happens: I began weeping, but with spiritual joy. So wonderful was the sense of how much God has loved and does love me. So great the Grace!
Well, off to work I went. I went for a brief prayer gathering, with some of the persons that work in a building other than the one I work in. I got there early. And as I was getting out of my truck to walk around and read some Scripture outside, I felt that Inner Voice telling me I needed to stop and pray, before getting out. Well, I thought there must be a reason, though I did not know what it was. I bowed my head and prayed, and there was a strong sense of connection to the Spirit.
Continued... |
