My word for this year has been devotion because I wanted to truly devote my heart and mind to God this year. Too often we don’t really spend time in God’s presence. And when we do we monopolize the time we spend with him.  So I wanted  something more:

“I want to be seen by God and I want to see God.
I want to meet God in his terms.
I want to spend time in quiet adoration.
I want to devote my heart and mind to God.
I want to sit in his presence in reverent awe.
I want to meet God as he is, not as I imagine him.”

The biggest blessing has been finding prayer as homecoming.
When I sit by Jesus I feel right at home.
When I embrace God/am embraced by God I am at home.

You’re all I want in heaven!
    You’re all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
    God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
    Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
But I’m in the very presence of God—
    oh, how refreshing it is!
I’ve made Lord God my home.
    God, I’m telling the world what you do!
(Psalm 73:25-28, MSG)

I was so excited when I realized Margaret Feinberg writes about this very same thing in her new book Wonderstruck. She felt called to leave lengthy prayers for the duration of lent. She prayed only three word prayers and learned so much: “Stripped of presumption and arrogance, of mindlessness and meaninglessness, I found myself crossing the threshold of God’s domain—choosing divine will over my will and handing back what I mistook as my own. My time with God became imbued with desire and delight.”

Margaret continues “Then something even more unexpected began to happen: I found myself entering a rich silence with God—the kind experienced by the closest of friends who sit side by side on a well-worn couch, feet propped up, melting into the cushions.”

That’s how I feel when I devote not only my heart and mind but also my time to God. When I enter into God’s presence without my own agenda. When I don’t monopolize our time but listen what God has for me. When I enjoy just hanging out with God. Prayer is homecoming at its best.

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for wanting to spend time with us.
Thank you for teaching us how to hang out with you.
Thank you that we can feel right at home with you.
Bless us according to our known and unknown needs.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you feel right at home with God? Do you see prayer as homecoming?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you take time to hang out with God!

Image courtesy of Kendall Conner. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday and Faith-Filled Friday.

FYI. Until December 25^th, they are offering EXCLUSIVE GIFTS (worth over $300) to anyone who pre-orders Wonderstruck:

Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Presence of God as an eBook  ($9.99 available on Kindle, Nook, iPad and other formats)
Fourteen Days of Wonder Journal eBook ($19.99 as a download)
How to Hold an Unforgettable Retreat eBook (a $29.99 download)
Pursuing God 14-Day Devotional ($12.99 download)
You will be automatically entered to win a brand new Kindle Fire pre-loaded with a suggested retail value of more than $100 worth of books from Worthy ($259.00)
Ten people will randomly be selected to receive a free audio version of Wonderstruck ($9.99)

Simply buy and send the receipt at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com This offer is only valid through the end of the day, December 25th. At that point, this offer goes away FOREVER.