Sometimes even a computer
needs to be turned off,
then on again.
I need it often.
The mind bubbles in thought,
constantly churning.
A body needs a reset, too.
Thank you, God Almighty,
for your infinite wisdom,
providing us hours and days
and weeks of rest.
Lazy minds
Our Father in Heaven,
Our minds are often lazy. Our understanding is limited. We are not used to reasoning. We are moved by emotion or social pressure. Our attention is taken by the media and entertainment. We no longer know how to think in a logical and sequential way. Continue reading “Lazy minds”
Transform My Mind
© 2019 J. Randal Matheny
O God, transform my mind,
Give power to leave behind
All worldly ways and timid days,
Be to your will aligned.
Create your life in me,
The Spirit’s full degree
With joy untamed and hope ordained —
Of earthly suffering free.
Perfection my desire,
Your holiness my fire —
The Savior’s zeal my close ideal
To move me higher and higher.
Our minds are small
Our minds are small, but you, O Lord, know no limits. Expand our horizons.
Our hearts are divided, Father, but you are one. Give us integrity.
Our souls are lost, O God, but you are Finder and Savior. Redeem us from the grave.
Our bodies feel the burden of sin, O Holy Spirit, but you are incorruptible. Give us eternal life.
To Latch Upon One
One powerful line, one spiritual thought,
One grand request to make of you:
O Father, give me your blessing to start
This day with joy and carry it through.
There are so many! The Word is full
Of sparking truths, the heaven of stars!
To latch upon one, the mind cannot fail —
The powers and wisdom of God are ours!
The death of Christ gives new perspective
2 Cor 5.16-17
“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”
Eph 4.23 NLT
—•—
- About Christ, Jn 7.24.
- About others 2 Cor 5.16-17.
- About family in Christ, Rom 14.15; 1 Cor 8.11.
- About oneself, Gal 6.3.
- About serving, Gal 5.13; 1 Pet 2.16.
- About suffering, Heb 12.7.
Bereft of gifts of body and mind
Kind and loving heavenly Father, to have health of body and mind is a wonderful blessing. Soundness, strength, and responsiveness bring great joy, even when the limbs respond and the mind functions so easily without much thought given to them. Thank you for these gifts.
At the same time, give us compassion and patience with those who are bereft in some way of these gifts.
- We remember the person who takes 20 pills of prescription medicine for his maladies.
- We remember those who think suicide is better than life.
- We remember those who live in depression and for whom every day is a black cloud that presses down to crush the spirit.
- We remember that person who lives in chronic and shooting pain.
- We remember those who were abused as children and may still enter abusive relationships.
- We remember that soul who lives in debilitating fear.
- We remember those who must cope with crippling disorders and limiting syndromes.
- We remember those who have lost limbs or deal with numbness or paralysis or live with bodies that do not respond.
- We remember those confined to wheelchairs and homes or limited in their movements.
- We remember the elderly who face the decline of physical strength and the loss of mobility and freedom.
- We remember those who are victims of medical malpractice, who have fallen through the cracks of healthcare, or who have suffered from misdiagnosis.
- We remember those who seem normal from all appearances, yet suffer from deep wounds or powerful struggles in the soul.
- We remember ourselves, O Lord, each of us with our own weaknesses, limitations, and frailties.
For each of us, God of compassion, may we seek our answers, not in man and his remedies, but in the welcoming embrace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was a man of pain and suffering, and a man of obedience, joy, and promise, because he did your will and found meaning in your loving purpose.
The window-screen prayer
Lord, thank you for the screens going up on our windows, and the screen door being installed in the kitchen, to help keep the house cool this summer, and the bugs from entering.
Help us keep our minds well screened, to prevent evil thoughts from entering and to keep temptation from overcoming us. Let our hearts be aerated by your Spirit, our souls protected by your Word, our wills reinforced by each step we take toward fulfilling your will in our lives.
Our Short Attention Span
Our short attention span
limits to what we can
do and pray and think —
our mind the weakest link.
Give strength to our soft mind,
O Lord, that we might find
the truth and apply today
your wisdom, without delay.
Like Pigs
Save us, Lord, from foolishness,
We need your wise and perfect will;
Restore our minds which—we confess—
Like pigs would seek a carnal swill.