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I love a doctor who can respect that somebody else is on your team, and that's God.
- Robin Roberts
A Simple Exercise of Faith
I forgot to reset my alarm last night, so it went off an hour earlier than I expected. I got up anyway; time alone—even half-awake—is something to be treasured in an apartment with seven people!
I was too sleepy to pray, so I decided to practice listening. I heard the swish of the cars passing on the road outside our living room and the gurgle of the coffee pot. After a minute or so, I picked out the hum of the refrigerator. Then a sniff from a sleeping child in the back bedroom. Finally, about three minutes in, I was focused enough to remember that my tinnitus is a separate sound.
I got up and poured myself a cup of coffee, listening to the liquid slosh into the cup. I took a few sips, then decided to pray: Speak, Lord, I am listening.
I was silent. He spoke. And I heard him, loud and clear.
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Julia Attaway is a freelance writer, homeschooler and mother of five. She is the editor of Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood, a book of devotions for first-time moms. She lives in New York.
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Your Comments (20)
Thank you for these readings. It keeps my life in perspective. God Bless.
With ADult ADHD its hard to sit still an listen for the voice of God. I move around cant keep still. But some how God quiets me down enough to get a message through. AMEN.
I get so much out of reading these moments of other people's experiences with God. I pray they will continue and all these prayers will be answered in God' time
anonymous from Penna.
Does God hear my prayers?
Is God there?
Yes + Yes
God hears all prayers. From the smallest deepest heartfelt prayer of a child to the Priest who is celebrating mass and praying. Gods ways are not mans ways.
A childhood polio survivor, adult diabetic, partial amputee with chronic pain. Financial insecurity. Six years on dialysis. Single woman with light education. However my faith in God has seen me through supporting me in my childhood time of illness a pillar of strength through the years of diabetes, illness and unstable finances. Daily my family, friends and I prayed for an organ kidney donation. After a period of doubt, withdrawal and weakness God made the way for me to receive a kidney. All medical angles were closed for me to receive an organ.
My prayer was answered. Not in my time. Not in my manner.
In Gods time and manner I received a kidney.
I prayed "God please support me in my daily need today. You know I need a kidney. You know I am not worthy of your gifts to me. I ask in the name of your son Jesus and the Blessed Mother Mary's intersessions. God I say the Our Father your son gave me. I say the Rosary Mary gave me.
First God I say I know you love me and I know you are with me. Please have mercy on me. Amen
Confused how to honor God while taking care of older widow father. I am living with him in his home. He needs assistance with a lot of things and can not be left alone all day. My yrs. are close to retirement and need to know I have something I can retire from. I'm torn between living in his house (dads)or living with someone that has been very kind and caring to me and said so but is much further away. Having a very hard time with this; also having hard time praying to God everyday.
Very Torn.........
My mom passed away in May and I was torn between looking after her and working. My opinion. Don't turn your back on your dad for someone else. You only have one dad and your time with him is precious you won't get this time back.
I so appreciate Julia's Seeds of Devotion. I look forward to them...and I always learn from her insight. Thank you Lord for Julia!
I am so grateful for your prayer request box.
I requested that I be able to find the little pamplet "Thought Conditioners" on the site. I am 74, and when I was growing up, my "Daddy" always read it in the mornings.
I received an answer from a wonderful prayer
worker, who asked me how many I wanted!! Then he sent them and didn't answer me when I asked how much I owed for them.
I love Guideposts. I can now read Thought Conditioners along with my Daily Guideposts every day.
Betty
Do you answer prayer request, because I never see mine
I sent in my prayer request and you sent me a beautiful prayer which I wanted to print my memory is not the best but I had a paper jam and I was also trying to put you email in my address book I cannot find anything can you help?? Prayer request was for Michael/Kyle/Karen/Kevin/Terry/mom/dad
How wonderful would it be to near from God; I try to be quiet, I try to listen and I tell God to please speak to me but each time, I find my mind wandering, I drift off and start thinking of the myiriads of problems I'm tryjing to deal with, I go into a guilt trip about all that I'm doing that's not right with God. And in the end, I find myself more miserable than when I initially invited the Lord to speak to me; am I heading for hell? Will I ever be able to break this vicious cycle? Will I ever get it right with God? This is affecting my relationship with God and my prayer life.
Annonymous
to answer your "questions" - am I heading for hell? - I doubt it; will I ever be able to break this vicious cycle?No, but God can; Will I ever get it right with God? You are already working on it by seeking His voice, His guidance...I am sure He loves you and appreciates your caring enough about Him and your relationship with Him to write this Post. What helps me is listening to music that glorifies God. I drive a lot and use that time to listen to & practice songs we will be performing in our church choir. Sometimes when I have even a few minutes of "alone" time I will put on the Christian radio station or a Contemporary Christian music, gospel, or instrumental CD. Other times it's "classic" music that takes me back to my youth where I relive great memories and experience a grateful heart! In those times I can feel God's guiding presence and always feel closer to Him afterwards, with a renewed sense of awe, appreciation, peace and hopefulness.
Leigh from GA
I am with you my dear,music is the key.You have said it right.Nice soft music,soft gospel music,yes it will put you closer to god,make you want to talk to god.Even some music that might make you cry a little,is good.thank you.
Ellie.PA.
Normally, during my daily walks with my dog, my mind spins through the cares of my day or I pray quick, fragmented prayers. But this week God called me to be present in the moment, using my senses to experience my walk. I heard the gravel crunch beneath my shoes, the hooting of an owl, the rustle of grasses in the breeze. Reading Julia' devotion this morning was an affirmation of God's presence and leading.
In most people, christians life, we are too busy to listen to hear what he has to say. He is always there and I feel after reading this that it is inspiring me to stop and listen more as "I" do want to hear him personaly.
Oh we feel and hear him as we know he is with us but those quiet times should be our special times with him.
Thank you for giving me these thoughts. God bless.
L. Annalene Reece
why do I feel like God is not listening to me????
Yes God is listening to you. Sometime we confuse what he is telling us with what we want to hear all though they can sometime be totally different that is when I have to stop and pray may your will be done and let me know it is from you and I will know it is best for me because GOD only whats best for us.
Dear friend this is so much God in it. me and my friend (sis. in christ ) of many years who now lives in Michigan , just began to take Holy communion with our Lord As It is TheLord's Supper, early in the morning before anything else and pray. for her it is 3-4am but for me, it is 1am so she will give me a wake up call Holy communion time and i will get up and take communion and pray and talk to Jesus, his Holy Spirit lead, we just started Sunday night and i read this from uou. For i've been a daily Guideposts reader for a long time, thanks.
I enjoy and learn from your devotions. Thank you for writing them.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE JULIA'S SEEDS OF DEVOTION..GOD BLESS YOU!