Thoughts on Prayer

Dear Lord; I love our morning correspondence.  It’s become an important part of my day, and I find that it helps me to explore my motivations and feelings, and at the same time to get closer to You.  Thank You for that.  Last night during a quiet moment, I was thinking about our daily time together and it started me contemplating about what prayer really was and about how others commune with you.

As children, the traditional “pray on your knees, eyes closed, head bowed and hands pressed together” was the de facto standard for us, and I know for many this is still the way they feel like they’re best in contact with You.  I know some who choose to sit in a quiet place, close their eyes and meditate to focus on what’s in their heart.  For many, I know that certain places can provide a more open conduit to hearing Your Voice (as I’ve mentioned before, the woods of Blackbird Forest have that significance for me).  And for a large number of people, attending regular Church Services are still their special time to hear Your Word and gain that Fellowship.

So, here’s my take on prayer Father.  First off, I believe that if I leave my Spirit open to Faith then I’m really in constant communication with You.  You know my heart, and the more my relationship with You grows, the more I feel that I’m always in Your Presence.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it reads: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”.  By allowing the Spirit to fill my heart, I leave myself open to hearing Your Voice;  That’s prayer for me.  And in writing these public emails to You Lord, I’ve found yet another conduit to focus my thoughts, hopes and prayers, while hopefully inspiring others to listen in the Stillness for Your Voice, and to better revel in Your Grace.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

Thanks Dad…

Dear Lord; As I’ve mentioned to You before, I think becoming a father was truly the starting point of my Spiritual Awakening, and the path to growing my relationship with You.  In fact, this morning while searching for inspiration for our correspondence, I kept coming back to the relationship I have with my children.  That got me wondering, if being a father to my two boys was so powerful a force in my life, how must it feel to be the Father of all of us?  I worry endlessly about my kids, revel in their successes, cringe at their pain and watch them grow with adoration and fascination.  I can’t even imagine experiencing that on the scale You have.  Well, as one of Your Children, I just want to say Thank You for all you do Father;  Your unending Love, Your sacrifices, Your Grace and Your bountiful Blessings in all our lives each day.  And Lord, I especially want to thank You for allowing me the Blessing of being a father myself.  It has truly opened my eyes and my heart to You more than ever before.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

I Shall Not Fear…

Dear Lord; This morning Father, I’d like to talk with You about fear.  For a number of personal reasons and from conversations with others, I’ve spent a great deal of time contemplating and analyzing (or overanalyzing as my Wife might say) fear and it’s effects on people lately.

What I’ve come up with is this; We all struggle to maintain an inner balance between our Hearts and Minds, or to put it another way our Desires and our Wisdom.  At any given point in time, the balance can shift based on a wide variety of factors, and those factors can obviously be influenced through a huge range of external situations as well.  If we allow our Desires to run the show, we’re extending outside our “comfort zone” and experiencing new things, however there may be some higher level of risk involved.  If on the other hand we allow our Wisdom to dominate our decisions, we stay on the safe side of things, but are certainly unlikely to enjoy our lives to their fullest potential.  I know in my own life, most of my happiest moments have come from my Heart venturing into uncharted waters, and yet my Mind has certainly kept me out of more than one situation that could have been disastrous.  It’s absolutely a balance, and a very complicated issue we all face every day.

In this complex equation Father, I see You as the “scales” between the two sides.  You help guide us through our lives, and help us maintain the balance that’s so vital.  I truly believe You want Your children to enjoy what life You have blessed us with, and yet have graced us with that Wisdom to keep us as much from harm as possible.  I give Thanks for Your Presence in that role, and ask that You continue to help us all balance our lives for the greatest possible fulfillment of our time on this Earth.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Sunshine Through the Rain

Dear Lord; Well Father, I hate to say it but I think you may have left the faucet on over Delaware this morning. 🙂  Funny enough though, as dreary and wet as it is outside today and as daunting the pile of work and projects on my list is, I have an odd feeling of contentment today.  I know in my heart that one way or another, what’s important will get done and what doesn’t get accomplished will be there another day.  I feel You on my shoulder, and know that it’s all well.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil