Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
FRIDAY, August 28 (Augustine of Hippo)
Mark 14:27-42. Could you not keep awake one hour?
Francis de Sales is reported to have said, "When you are not too busy, pray for a half hour every day; when you are too busy, pray for one hour every day."
What shapes your prayer life: necessity, danger, sickness, stress, need, praise, adoration, longing for God, inspiration, all of the above? People pray for many reasons. I have often observed that there has been prayer in schools ever since there have been pop quizzes.
Jesus asks his disciples to pray with him in his final hours, and they fall asleep. Perhaps they were tired. Perhaps they didn't want to think about what was coming. Perhaps they were afraid. Perhaps they were oblivious. In any event, they did not pray with Jesus.
Christians enter into the prayers and life of Jesus and ask him to enter into ours. Prayer is watching with Jesus, staying awake to the challenges and callings of his life and love. Sleepers, awake!
When you pray, you are not starting the conversation from scratch, just remembering to plug back into a conversation that's always in progress.
-Anne Lamott
PRAY for the Diocese of Shyogwe (Rwanda)
Ps 16, 17 * 22; 1 Kings 5:1-6:1,7; Acts 28:1-16
View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.
A Meditation for Pentecost
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