By Bill Gaultiere © 2011

Listen! God is speaking.

Sunshine after a rain. It reminds me that when we slow down and look up to God his bright thoughts can enter our minds to help us walk in his bright ways (Isaiah 55:9, paraphrase). Listening to God makes everything better—even if we at the time we don’t hear specific words—because the very act of listening opens our hearts to the delightful, shining reality that the Lord is truly with us.

“Shoot Up” an Arrow Prayer

But most us of struggle with listening to God and need help to direct our attention on God. Many times each day we come across situations in which we especially need God’s grace and guidance and if we’re already in an attitude of listening to him it helps us in our time of special need to hear the promptings of his Spirit.

Here’s a little “Arrow Prayer” I wrote that is inspired by Psalm 50:1-2 that can help you to pause and pay attention to the Lord in your midst as you go about your day. It’ll help you cultivate the disposition of being continually attentive to God. Like an archer, you can point your bow up to the heavens and “shoot up” this prayer: “The Lord speaks and shines from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.”

It’s true. The words of the Lord are like a light that shines. Like the sun rays the voice of God gives and sustains all life. (Psalm 19 teaches this.)

One Breath, One Prayer

To help me absorb the sunlight of God’s voice I especially like to Pray Psalm 50:1-2 as a simple Breath Prayer. Try it in this rhythm:

• (Wait to breath): “The Lord speaks and shines…”
• (Breathe in): “From the rising of the sun…”
• (Breathe out): “To the place where it sets.”

When I put my body into a prayer like this it helps me engage my mind with God’s thoughts. Then as God’s thoughts become my thoughts I use them to engage my heart (will). This helps me whole soul to flow with God’s abundant life and to overflow with this to whoever is in my social circle at the time.

It’s fun over the course of a day to see how many times can I remember to take a breather with God and shoot up a little arrow prayer that helps me to listen to what God might want to say to me.

What a sweet delight it is to practice God’s presence! Everything is richer and more wonderful when you appreciate that the Spirit of Christ is with you, living and breathing in you and through you, infusing your mind with heavenly thoughts, forming your heart to be more like Jesus.

O Prince of Peace we love your shining face! We rejoice in the brightness of your words that warm our hearts!

Be Blessed to be a Blessing

Try shooting up your arrow prayer for people the Lord puts on your heart. Offer a secret little prayer as you listen to someone. You can even pray for a stranger you see on the street or in the store: “The Lord speaks and shines to ________, from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.”

More Soul Shepherding

Everyday many ministry leaders and other Christ-followers visit SoulShepherding.org to learn how to use Breath Prayers from the Bible.

Did you notice the parts of the person I referenced as being effected by prayer? These come from Jesus’ Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:30-31). “Seeking God with Each Part of the Person” will help you to engage your whole self in prayer and in God’s life!

Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org

Peter observed a dog returning to its vomit and a pig going back to wallow in the mud and God showed him that people can be like that (2 Peter 2:22).

It’s easy to read Peter’s words and start judging people who are foolish. Why does she keep struggling with that? What’s the matter with him? He should know better than to do that! Be careful! That common response of using insight from God to judge others will distance you from the Holy Spirit and slowly drain the life out of your soul.

My Confession

So I consider Peter’s words and ask myself, “What vomit have I been eating? What mud have I been wallowing in?”

Just a couple of days ago I was jealous of a Christian leader’s success. I prayed for this leader’s ministry, but why didn’t I keep praying? Why did I get so caught up in my work?

I’d like to say that the work I did was for God, that I was trying to help people in Jesus’ name. But another motive crowded in to deter the holy one: I wanted to be recognized as special because of what I could achieve. I was trying to prove my worth. That’s what I did so much of in my past as a workaholic.

But I thank the Lord that more and more over the years I’ve let God’s Word read my heart, confessed my sins, and followed Jesus anew into increasing freedom.

How About You?

How about you? What vomit are you eating? What mud are you wallowing in?

There’s a lot of research that’s been done to help us understand compulsive behavior and the path to freedom. I’ve spent many hundreds of hours in firsthand research with “vomit eaters” and “mud wallowers”, not the least of which has been done on myself with the help of therapists, mentors, and friends who have been “Christ’s Ambassadors” to me (2 Corinthians 5:20).

More Soul Shepherding

You don’t have to keep returning to sinful habits or wallowing in compulsive patterns. There are proven approaches to freedom and healing. “Step Out of the Cycle of Addiction” is one of a number of articles I’ve written to show you the path to overcoming your struggle.

People in ministry struggle with compulsive behaviors too. If that’s you don’t keep trying on your own—reach out for help. Kristi and I offer psychotherapy in our office in Irvine, CA and pastoral counseling by phone or Skype. Contact us at Soul Shepherding if we can help you.

Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org

“People close to his heart.” I am close to the Lord’s heart! You are close to the Lord’s heart! Doesn’t this make your heart skip with joy? If you join me in this meditation and prayer it will!

Remember John at the Last Supper? He reclined on Jesus’ chest and later he told the whole world again and again: “I am the disciple Jesus loves!” (John 13:23, 26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20).

What a blessing it is when I’m meditating on Scripture and the Holy Spirit brings the Word to life in my heart like this! Words I’ve read many times before suddenly blossom into vibrant, new life. What a surprise! What a joy! It’s as if I’ve never read the words before, though I’ve read them many times.

Oh, to be captivated by Christ all the time! Oh, to be continually drawn into the glorious realm of his kingdom of the heavens!

Linger with my little prayer poem, “Come Close to Christ.” Imagine yourself with Jesus as John was you too will start skipping and rejoicing with John: “I am the disciple Jesus loves!”

Come Close to Christ
Come to Christ
Supper with the Savior
See his smile
Lean on the Lord
Hear his heartbeat
Delight to be his disciple

What a wonderful scene this is! What a prayer! Connecting with Christ is the source of our love, joy, and peace. It’s the ultimate foundation for our identity and all that we do. It’s the power for us to serve him faithfully and with endurance,

Today, as often as you can remember try reminding yourself, “I am close to the Lord’s heart… I am the disciple Jesus loves…” This is a way of practicing Abiding Prayer.

Who do you know who needs to “Come Close to Christ”? Offer a prayer for him or her. “_______ is close to the Lord’s heart… _______ is the disciple Jesus loves…”

It’d be good to send your friend a word of encouragement right now!

You can read more prayers from My Psalms Prayer Book.

In Soul Shepherding we help pastors, pastor’s wives, missionaries, and other ministry leaders to come close to Christ. Abiding in Christ is what enables them to bear fruit for him. Read what pastors say about this.

William Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D. ~ http://www.soulshepherding.org

Jesus invites us to be his apprentices!

I used to get up thinking about – or worrying about! – all the things I needed to do that day and rushing to get going on them.  But I’ve learned to begin my day in quiet prayer.  (Sometimes to do this I have to wrestle the anxieties off of me!)

Years ago I learned to offer the first words of the day to my Lord: “I love you Jesus!”

This has grown into “the Apprentice Prayer”: a simple but powerful prayer of devotion to Jesus.

I use The Apprentice Prayer to train my heart to live as an apprentice to Jesus.  It helps me to rejoice in the Lord in trials, submit to his kingdom in all that I do, and listen to what God is teaching me through the events of my day.  It also helps me to entrust myself and my loved one’s to God’s providential, loving care.

Begin this New Year by offering The Apprentice Prayer (or your own paraphrased version) each morning for a number of days.  Form a prayer habit of the heart and you’ll be amazed at how God uses it to help you to live as the disciple Jesus loves!

The Apprentice Prayer

Jesus, I love you!  Father, I adore you.  Holy Spirit, I rely on you.

Lord Jesus, I seek to live as your apprentice in all that I do today.  I relinquish my agenda for this day and I submit myself to you and your kingdom.  In all things today I pray, “Your will, your way, your time.”

Dear Father, I ask you to ordain the events of this day and use them to make me more like Jesus.  I trust you, Sovereign Lord, that you won’t let anything happen to my family or me today, except that it passes through your loving hands.  So no matter what problems, hardships, or injustices I face today help me not to worry or get frustrated, but instead to relax in the yoke of your providence.  Yes, today I will rejoice because I am in your eternal kingdom, you love me, and you are teaching me!

My Lord, I devote my whole self to you.  I want to be all and only for Jesus! Today, I love you with all my heart (intentions and choices), all my soul (personality), all my mind (thoughts), all my strength (body and energy), and all my relationships (conversations and interactions).

Today, I depend on you, Holy Spirit, not my own resources.  Help me to keep in step with you.

Today, I look to love others as you love me, dear God, blessing everyone I meet, even those who mistreat me.

Today, I’m ready to lead people to follow you, Jesus.

Amen.