Lent – A Time for Yielding Prayer

Mar 16

Aloha!

If everything went according to plans, I am in Hawaii today at a beautiful Benedictine retreat center located on the island of Oahu. Invited to be part of the teaching team at a retreat for spiritual directors in training, I decided to take a couple extra days to spend personal time in this idyllic setting, focusing on my own spiritual growth while walking many steps each day in this beautiful environment.

Photos in this post are ones Ron took during our anniversary trip to Hawaii a few years ago.

During this season on the Liturgical Calendar, Christians around the world focus on three main aspects of Lent:

1) prayer and abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God;

2) charitable giving; and

3) repenting from sins that keep us from God, and then, receiving God's mercy and love.

Even though I resist certain aspects of technology, there are so many wonderful on-line resources that enrich my life every day. One is an app called Lectio 365, part of 24-7 Prayer, a worldwide prayer movement originating in England. I love this app and listen to it every night and almost every morning. (See the app logo at the end of this post.)

I especially appreciated one of the prayers on February 10th, which seems to fit perfectly for Lent:

The prayer begins,

So today, I pray this simple prayer:

Holy Spirit, make room.

Declutter my mind, show me the pathways of light, and remind me of the nearness of Your presence today. Thank You that You are the God who is with me as companion, Saviour, and guide.

Amen*