Before you begin, pause for a few moments and relax. Take several slow, deep breaths and rest in the loving presence of God. When you are ready, begin.
Psalm 63:2
O God, you are my God--
for you I long!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
Like a land parched, lifeless, and without water.
for you I long!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
Like a land parched, lifeless, and without water.
We have an empty space within us that only God can fill. The psalmist describes the experience eloquently. The longing for God is a holistic experience: body and soul. Our busy lives can sometimes mask our longing or send us searching in other directions. When our longing is left unrecognized, something inside us begins to dry up. We feel like a "land parched, lifeless, and without water." The acknowledgment that we long and yearn for God alone sets us on the path to seek God in prayer.
How might my busy life mask my longing for God? How does my longing for God express itself?
What image best describes how I search for God?
Pray these words or those of your own. Faithful God, thank you for placing a hunger for you within me. Grant me the grace to never stop longing and yearning for you.
Amen.