I feel like our Lord’s is putting out a massive, “All hands on deck,” call. In one way it’s no different now than any other moment of time in Christ’s Body. He’s always calling us to open our hearts to the movement of His Spirit in us to achieve the fulfillment of His Father’s Glory.

The chaos swirling around us right now is at a feverous pitch. There are days when it feels like the small remnant of the faithful is strong but, why have the vast majority of people decided that God has no meaningful place in their lives? Can’t they awaken to our craziness and realize there is no meaning without God? For these wandering brothers and sisters we pray urgently for our Lord to collar them with His amazing Grace.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:37). As disciples on the run we ask to be given the desire to be workers in His Field – in whatever shape, form, or function that might take. Good thing Jesus isn’t a bookie. He always takes the impossible odds and converts them into transformative wins. He rises from the dust of abject weakness and obscurity to show us the nature of His Trinitarian Mighty ways of Love.

In my little corner of life I’m feeling and seeing waves and waves of an increase of His Will becoming enacted in the drives of people’s passion to serve. May we become passionate in allowing our Master Poet, Storytelling, Lover God do his thing through us and in us.

I confess I’m feeling a pull of my own. This blog was the start of responding to His pull on me. Yesterday, as I was praying before mass, I felt a clear, strong, calling to begin writing a prayer a day. In typical fashion I started giving Him a thousand excuses why I thought that wasn’t a great idea. I mean how many people are going to come to this blog site and read them? And, how will I know what prayer I should write each day… and really Lord, you want me to write a new prayer every day?! I imagined Him giving me one of His melting, bemused looks.

Truth be told: I enjoy praying out loud for people, and over the last several years in my journaling, I’ve found great comfort in writing prayers. It gives me peace. Being a wordy, storytelling kind of guy it’s a glove that fits me. So, here I am at the start of this new prayer journey. I have no idea where its going but I’m running.

Here’s a simple little example from this morning:

I’m sitting here working at a friend’s house in a very quiet neighborhood. There’s a steep driveway and I’ve been parking my car at the bottom of the hill on the street. Suddenly I feel the nudge to go to my car and grab something I had left there (a tube of hand cream). This was neither important to what I was doing nor in any way either on my mind or necessary.

I get up and go to my car and I see a black car parked and a woman calls out to me. It turns out to be the best friend of a dear sister in Christ’s mother’s best friend. She is kind and generous in her words to me remembering a funeral I had attended and participate in. I immediately feel her heaviness. I gently inquired and learned that her father is battling Alzheimer’s and things are very hard and challenging right now.

I asked if we could say a prayer together which we do. She was touched, teared up, and said, “God meant for me to bump into you today – thank you.” And yes, God sent me to my car to encounter her. Our Poet Storytelling Lord is too Good – His Love and Presence is humbling as it is almost imperceptible. It never ceases to blow me away that He lets us be agencies of His Grace. I’m floored.

As it is extraordinarily ordinary, it is… the way God IS.

As is evidence of God’s ceaseless signs of Grace moving in our lives, this little story of a God moment is working on lots of levels. It was a gift to this woman in need of God’s comfort and care, it was a gift to me to participate in His Love, and it’s a gift with an affirming sign of His desire for me to be a prayer vehicle for Him. Lord, thy will be done.

I imagine I’ll need to find ever new ways to listen to him and tap into what prayer He wants me to write. It will after all in some imperfect way be His voice making its way through these prayers. He’ll know what targets He’s reaching – I’ll leave that up to Him. He always does the heavy lifting.

I’ll put the first prayer of this new daily devotion here. Praying before mass this morning the word, “Fervent” dropped into my mind and heart. I will use this as the focusing guide for today’s prayer.

Father Source of Love, Jesus Shepherd of Love, and Beautiful Spirit Inciter of Love, receive our humble prayers of gratitude. We eagerly await our callings to step into the situations you will allow and present to us to be conveyers of your Goodness. 

Stoke in us new fires of fervent devotion. Give us your eyes Jesus that pierce the emptiness of every earthen vessel. Fill the awaiting thirsty receptacles of our lives with your transformative healing waters. 

Jesus, allow your wisdom to help us seize the moments on our paths. 

Father, exchange the moments of hurt, the stumbles of our weaknesses, the cries for help, the agonies of our quiet despair, and the crippling bondage of our confusions for verdant opportunities to bring your Love to souls desperate for you.

Holy Spirit, in concert with all the angels and saints grant us courage in advancing our Lord’s Love with every thought, word, action, intention, and inaction.
 
Lord, please grant us the Grace we need to be your torches of fire. Fill them with the endless abundance of your Sacred Oil that we might cast Your burning Light of Hope into the darkest and most impossible places. Then Lord, help us to humbly recognize where, when, and how you have used your Fire in our hearts and spirits to do Your work. Give us shouts of praise, adoration, and gratitude that reach to the heavenlies to give Honor to your Endless Glory of Love. In Christ’s name we pray. AMEN.

Note: I’ll create a separate menu item where all the daily prayers can be found.

Please consider what new ways God might be calling you to be a torch of His Love’s Fervent Fire in this world. Consider sharing with us in the Comment Section below what you feel God might be asking of you in these chaotic times. Then allow us as the Body of Christ to pray for you to fulfill God’s Will for you.