CENTERING ON GOD
SOMETIME EACH DAY – can be a time of cleansing and focus. Besides acknowledging God is with us all of the time, taking time each day to bring us back to a focus on God and get rid of everything that is distracting us from what we want to accomplish that day with God, and especially what God wants us to do, is a renewing experience. Asking God to rid us of all evil influences in our vicinity is very helpful toward restoring the energy we need to be effective in whatever we are doing. Asking God to remove all the thoughts we don’t need to finish what we are doing is a very freeing experience. God wants us to be able to work effectively and with as little frustration as possible. The energy we are given for whatever we do is a precious resource and we can learn to remove obstacles, with God’s help, that gets in the way of the wasting of that energy.
Practicing love is another powerful way of renewing this energy. Romans 12 helps remind us of the purpose of our lives. 2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
I am a knitter and I’ve found it is a helpful way for me to renew my energy. Knitting can be a spiritual exercise to help return our focus. It is also a practice that supports focusing prayer. So besides the consciousness prayer, I also use knitting as one technique to refocus my energies. Being an empath, that is being attuned to what others are feeling around me, can be draining and I have found knitting to be very supportive to bring myself back into harmony with God, after being around selfishness and greed. The inherent mindfulness of the practice of knitting with its repetitive nature and rhythm is very conducive to the renewal of our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits. Because it has a physical aspect to it, it can help bring us back into wholeness with God and ourselves. Other activities may help to restore wholeness – running or walking gets us out into the natural world which adds its own elements of renewal. Praying during this activity is an easy addition. Enjoying Spring and its renewal of the earth is supportive of the work of refocusing ourselves on God. Oh renewing God, may we find practices which help renew our focus on the spirit you have put in us, that we may have new energy for your work of spreading love and acceptance. Teach us how to find and use these ways to help others who are searching for you. Amen. PEACE
ordinary prayer 