![[Daily Devotionals/Devotion/Devotion Day Five.jpg]] > Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.![[Devotion_Day_Five.mp3]] ### Opening Prayer: *Late have I loved you, O Beauty, so ancient and so new, late have I loved you! And behold, you were within me and I was outside, and there I sought for you, and in my deformity I rushed headlong into the well-formed things that you have made. You were with me, and I was not with you. ~St. Augustine* #### Psalm for the Week: Psalm 86 #### Great Is Your Steadfast Love #### A Prayer of David. **86 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,for to you do I cry all the day.4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.* *5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,for you answer me.* *8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.9 All the nations you have made shall comeand worship before you, O Lord,and shall glorify your name.10 For you are great and do wondrous things;you alone are God.* *11 Teach me your way, O Lord,that I may walk in your truth;unite my heart to fear your name.12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.* *14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;a band of ruthless men seeks my life,and they do not set you before them.15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant.17 Show me a sign of your favor,that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.* #### Scripture for the Day: Matthew 25:1-13 #### The Parable of the Ten Virgins *25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom.[b] 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.* #### Reading for Reflection: *It is unlikely that we will deepen our relationship with God in a casual or haphazard manner. There will be a need for some intentional commitment and some reorganization in our own lives. But there is nothing that will enrich our lives more than a deeper and clearer perception of God’s presence in the routine of daily living. (Ways of Prayer: Designing a Personal Rule by William O. Paulsell, Weavings, Sept./Oct. 1987)* *By participating in Christian disciplines, we live out our desire and intention to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. As we do so, we are encouraged, instructed, healed, challenged, loved, renewed, and beckoned to God and godly living.* *While it is true that God is in every when and where and that many other things besides disciplines contribute to our deepening relationship with God, we discover that it makes a meaningful difference in everyday life when we set aside time, space, and ourselves to be more fully present with and attentive and responsive to God. Disciplines are like faithful companions on the way. The benefit we seek and desire most is deepening companionship with God. We come away from other pursuits to listen for the still, small voice that is our best friend, our beloved Savior, the Holy One, God. (Holy Invitations by Jeanette Bakke)* #### Reflection and Listening: silent and written #### Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself #### Song for the Week: Lord Most High *From the ends of the earth* *From the depths of the sea* *From the heights of the heavens* *Your name be praised* *From the hearts of the weak* *From the shouts of the strong* *From the lips of all people* *This song we raise, Lord* *Throughout the endless ages* *You will be crowned with praises,* *Lord Most High* *Exalted in every nation* *Sovereign of all creation* *Lord Most High, Be magnified* ### Closing Prayer *My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. (Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton)* --- [[Devotion Day 1]] [[Devotion Day 2]] [[Devotion Day 3]] [[Devotion Day 4]] [[Devotion Day 6]] [[Devotion Day 7]] #Devotion