Lent Journey - 2016Sample

LENT IS FOR LISTENING DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, teach me how to listen to you. DAILY THOUGHT: IN SOLITUDE AND SILENCE Desert spaces are places of solitude and silence. Without these two things it is nearly impossible to grow a listening life with God. We must remind ourselves that this kind of withdrawal is not escapism or running away from life. Rather, it leads us into a greater and more effective engagement with life. We also begin to live with a far deeper consciousness of God with us through the day. This is one reason why Jesus would regularly withdraw into the desert. Can you see why having some solitude and silence in our own little “desert space” is so important? DAILY PRACTICE: Withdraw to your “desert space” at the time you planned. After you have made your prayer request, as suggested above, read the story of Jesus’ desert-temptations a couple of times (Matthew 4:1–11). Then ask yourself two questions: What may God be saying to me through this story? How do I respond to this? Share your thoughts and feelings about these questions with God in prayer.