Today’s Reflection
A practice that we have cherished, a habit that has deepened us and drawn us closer to God, a discipline that we perhaps have engaged in for years no longer seems to work. Gradually over time or overnight with no warning, its familiar contours turn foreign, dull, perhaps even painful. These times call us to some of our deepest discernment. They dare us to ask, Am I being called to go deeper in this practice, to persist, to keep digging toward the wellspring that surely must be here somewhere? Am I being invited to wait and to listen? Or is God leading me toward a different practice than the one I have known?
—Jan L. Richardson, In the Sanctuary of Women: A Companion for Reflection and Prayer (Upper Room Books, 2010)
Today’s Question
What do you do when a beloved spiritual practice “no longer seems to work”? Join the conversation.
Today’s Scripture
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.
—Ephesians 6:18 (NRSVUE)
Prayer for the Week
We are waking, God.
We are waking,
and we pray
that we may know you
as manna in the desert,
wellsprings in the wilderness,
honey from the rock,
O God our habitation
and our way.
—Jan L. Richardson, “Prayer for the Morning,” In the Sanctuary of Women
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.
Something More
Explore popular books written by women for women as we celebrate Women’s History Month in March. View our list of books here.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.
4 Comments
At the moment I still feel connected, I thank God for His ever presence throughout the day.Thank You. Lord. Trying to connect to a mental health group so I can better cope with my son. The search for new editor of the railroad historical society is on. The least snow I have ever seen at this time of the year in this part of the country. An outing today with my son. Thank You. Lord for the blessings of the day.
This week’s reflection about the celestial woman reminded me of the story of Hagar, who called out to God in despair. God sent help to her and Ismael and they did not die. Hagar called God El Roi: The God who sees me. Sometimes I call out to God and ask God to see me. Often my spiritual practices feel dry, as my heart is dry. Sometimes I wallow in that. Other times, I open myself up so the Holy Spirit can make my heart soft and pliable again. Look up the song “My Eyes Are Dry” by Keith Greene:
My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me
But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood.
Praying for absent friends.
Thank you for that, Ally. Prayers for you and David.
Thanks Ally!
I think mainly, if a beloved spiritual practice has gone dry for me, I try to switch it up. For years, I did Daily Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. 📕 But circumstances changed (like I was no longer riding the bus to work when COVID came). i couldn’t get into the swing of it again, so I switched to Celtic daily prayer from the Northumbria Community. That worked for a couple of years and then I switched again, now to The Bible in One Year with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. I’ve been doing that for a couple of years, now, and I still love it.
I’m sure I’ll go back to the Book of Common Prayer, though, before too long. They are all great disciplines, and I’m grateful I have a variety of really fruitful options available. Also, the Church Year is helpful to me. I have a couple of books I can use throughout the year to introduce fresh practices when change is helpful. Obviously Lent is one of those, but following through the other seasons keeps me energized and I love the thought of going through them with countless other Christians all round the world.
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