“His ears are open to their prayers” 1 Peter 3:12**
Ready to receive even one simple utterance of mine, is the God of the universe.
You are a ready-for-me God. Ready for all of me. You take not only the best sides of me, but my prayers — my pleas — from the place of weakness.
You treasure my weak words, God, and for this I adore You.
You don’t just tolerate me, You invite me. You welcome the groans that come from the darkest parts of me.
You are an open God; though you in no way compromise Your truth to be open to me. You are both unchanging and ever-loving the me in desperate need of changing. You are “open” to man, You are open to flawed me, yet this vulnerability does not supplant Your strength.
The sound of my voice can move You.
I adore You, Father, unbroken, but willing to bend Your ear. You carry the beauty of infallibility melded with a fierce love that has tucked itself inside of me. I’ve done nothing to deserve Your reach, yet this reach is unceasing.
I whisper. I mutter. I pray words and phrases, not sentences. Sometimes, just “help.” And You field every one of these measly, rooted-in-earth-that-longs-for-heaven, cries. You miss not one.
I’m not sure which is more glorious, that You engage me or that You invite me to engage You.
You are a rock and fortress who has given me more than a hearing, but a sonship.
And because of Your ears, open, I can move from being one with a stone-cold heart to one who talks with God.
It’s all because of You that I adore You and from this adoration You make my hard ground a well, a spring.
I praise You Father, holy other, yet attuned to Your clay.
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**So what do I do with these posts, you ask, other than just read them? First, if you haven’t yet, read: Why I Adore and Morning Chai, Explained to give you a context for this little space on my blog.
If you are compelled, I invite you to participate. Set up a space and time in your own life to begin adoring. Over laundry or dinner dishes, on your commute to work, or in the wee morning hours — five or ten minutes is a great start. You can use the verse I list here every day or two as a launch pad for your own adoration. (Showing Up gives you some practicals.)
Then practice praise.
You can use this adoration prayer guide, customized for January, as a start.
I promise your weary soul won’t regret it.
You can see all of the Morning Chai posts with this link: http://www.EveryBitterThingisSweet.com/posts/chai/ and you can easily subscribe to these devotional meditations as they are delivered, by using this feed: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/chai or by entering your email address in the second box on the right-hand side.
First and third photos compliments of Mandie Joy. Second photo compliments of Cherish Andrea Photography.
