By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
Life is precious and brief. How can we “redeem the time” before our days on earth slip away? (Ephesians 5:16).
The ancient devotional masters were helped to live each day for Christ by meditating on their dead body being put into a tomb. Probably you haven’t done that before! Most of us today try not to think about our death!
But actually this is a Biblical practice. Long before the monks and spiritual writers of the past the Psalmist was praying about the brevity of life in order to live each day for God. This has been very helpful for me to [...]
Continue reading Like a Flower in the Father’s Field
By Bill Gaultiere © 2007, 2010
I awoke early one morning. It was quiet after a night’s rain. I recited Psalm 23 again and again and talked to Jesus, the Good Shepherd – my Soul Shepherd. What joy to appreciate Psalm 23 anew!
For three thousand years David’s prayer has been offered by people of various faiths and cultures. Jesus himself prayed Psalm 23 – more than that he fulfilled it. And he helped me to paraphrase it into words that restored my soul.
I’m sure that you also need for the Lord to restore your soul each day – there’s no better way than by [...]
Continue reading The Lord Jesus is my Soul Shepherd
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
One day I got up before sunrise to walk and pray in the quiet. I prayed Psalm 119:103 over and over:
“How sweet are your words to my taste, [O Lord Jesus,] sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103).
The Holy Spirit brought to my mind paraphrases of some of the sweet words of Jesus. I tasted them and found them delicious! I meditated on them and received nourishment for my soul. I prayed them and was strengthened to love my neighbor as the Lord loves me.
Take a moment now to taste the honey sweet words of Jesus Christ.
And then [...]
Continue reading Sweet Words of Jesus
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
Could a prayer change your life? This little one could ignite your heart for Christ as it has mine…
The other day on my Sabbath I sat on a rock by a stream for hours praying the Lord’s Prayer with Martin Luther. His barber asked him how he prayed and he wrote him a letter featuring his meditations and prayers inspired by Jesus’ prayer. What a blessing it was to read and pray from his classic little devotional book: A Simple Way to Pray.
I shared this prayer in our recent Soul Shepherding Board of Directors meeting and as part of a sermon [...]
Continue reading A Pocket Lighter to Ignite your Heart
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
Many people after they put themselves out to minister to others feel self-doubt. Pastors may wonder if they preached a good sermon. Small group leaders may question their effectiveness. Counselors feel might feel unsure they said the right thing. Anyone who serves others is likely to ask: “Did I make a difference?”
In order to feel adequate in our ministry to others most of us try too hard. We rely more on our own wisdom and strength than on the Holy Spirit. We try to please people and base our identity on what they think of us. What exhaustion and distress this [...]
Continue reading A Prayer for When You Minister to Others
You long to be pursued in love. So do I.
“How are you… really? What do you need? What are you hoping for? How can I pray for you?” When someone expresses genuine personal interest in you it is healing. When you open up to grace it is life-giving.
But somewhere along the line we all have felt rejected… devalued… unknown… lost…
And we have learned to deny our hurts… not have emotional needs… distract ourselves from our inner pain… isolate…
We must come to the point where we cry out to God with the Psalmist: “May my cry come before you, O Lord… May [...]
Continue reading Good Shepherd is Looking for You!
By Bill Gaultiere © 2008
Do you ever feel insignificant? Compare yourself to others and come up short? Try hard to look or do better so you can stand out? I do. But then…
I pick up the inspired prayers of the Psalmist; I follow the rhythms of the ancient prayer masters. In solitude with my Lord I pray the Psalms and walk in their paths.
Day after day, over and over, I pray the same Psalms and walk the same paths, each time seeking to reach a little deeper and go a little farther.
And the One I love speaks to my soul and helps me [...]
Continue reading God’s Wildflower
The Sons of Korah may have written Psalm 42 by these waterfalls that flow into the Jordan River. I can imagine this because I love praying a Psalm in its nature setting!
Two years ago in Maui I watched my son and daughter surf at Puamana Beach. As I did I listened to the waves and meditated on Psalm 42. The waves and words flowed together into my soul. I waited… I breathed them in… I breathed them out…
I realized that God, like the echoing sounds of the waves and the unfolding insights [...]
Continue reading Waves of Love
In the Bible David is called a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). What does it mean that David had a heart for God?
David longed to draw closer to the Lord. He devoted his whole heart to God. His Psalms are filled with this holy longing of his soul for more of God.
We know that sometimes David strayed from his devotion to the Lord. He had an affair with Bathsheba and then arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle! He neglected his children. He had issues with pride and anger, particularly in his reign as king. But the difficulties that David [...]
Continue reading One Thing (Psalm 27 Prayer)
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
“The glory of God is a person fully alive” said the church father Irenaeus.
Psalm 18 shows David exuberantly alive with the life of God. And it is filled with rich imagery of God’s deliverance and blessing upon the people of faith. It tells the story of David overcoming Saul and all his enemies. It re-tells the story of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt and ascent up Mt. Sinai to make covenant with God. It foretells the coming of Jesus Christ to lead us into the high places of God’s kingdom.
I wanted Psalm 18 to become my story! I wanted it [...]
Continue reading Rising to High Places with Christ
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
